2016 NFL Season Ratings

[Former Fan]

NFL viewership fell in nearly all demographics and all regions in 2016

As seen above, viewership of the average game with the four major broadcasters dropped by 12%, 10% and 8% in the respective demo breaks versus 2015. Just as interesting is the fact that although the second half of every season brings more eyeballs to the league due to increased TV usage, the drops among the network group not only wiped out the gains seen from 2015, but they are double the declines from 2014 vs. 2013 when the ratings erosion began to take hold. In that period after the infamously bad 2014 offseason, the NFL lost about 6% of its viewership with the same three key demos (a 3% decline overall that was staved off thanks to a 2% bump from adults over 55).

Especially nice...

Yet viewership in the Northeast, which has the largest population of the six Nielsen-measured regions, dropped by 12% from last season in spite of two playoff teams in the New England Patriots and New York Giants. The East Central, with a bad Chicago Bears team, the struggling Indianapolis Colts and lesser viewed AFC teams like Cincinnati and Cleveland, lost 13%. The Southwest, fortunately for the NFL, is essentially unchanged.

Will be fun to watch the 32 scramble.

 

[borisman]

The owners again blame the election year and Goodell will deny any such declines until a Ted Wells investigation is conducted.

 

[ALP]

man i didn't think id see it so soon

but this is the decline of the NFL

wow

and all because of stupidity

 

[RecoveringCowboy]

And it's on Goodell's watch.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

Better yet ratings & viewership for Wildcard Weekend (a.k.a.Stupor Bowl) dropped.

 

[Bradyking12]

Its so obvious why but the guys upstairs won't care cause they think they know it all and will continue to drive the NFL into the ground

What the guys upstairs do year in and year out btw

 

[ThatllMoveTheChains!!!]

And next CBA negotiations are primed to go terribly!

 

[PatsFanSince74]

And next CBA negotiations are primed to go terribly!

"S-T-R-I-K-E...Strike! Strike! Strike!"

Honor Tom Brady and Sean Payton and every other NFL'er who has been punished arbitrarily by Goodell.

"Deep Six 46! Deep Six 46! Deep Six 46.""

 

[Pessimistic Pete]

"Ratings down? Let's just make money by diluting the product! 18 regular season games! 14 playoff teams! Put a team in London! TWO Thursday Night Games! We'll stream one on Twitter...exclusively!"

 

[wizwor]

Better yet ratings & viewership for Wildcard Weekend (a.k.a.Stupor Bowl) dropped.

Possibly the worse weekend of football in my lifetime.

 

[XLIX]

"S-T-R-I-K-E...Strike! Strike! Strike!"

Honor Tom Brady and Sean Payton and every other NFL'er who has been punished arbitrarily by Goodell.

"Deep Six 46! Deep Six 46! Deep Six 46.""

The players are not going to sacrifice a single cent to "honor Sean Payton."

The key is, how much will they give up in order to get rid of a ridiculously unfair Amendment, but one which only impacts the smallest fraction of other players? Unfortunately, most reports state that there just isn't any momentum from the players to do anything significant about this.

 

[NormZauchin]

I think one might term this a deflation of the NFL's ratings.

 

[HTownChris]

Maybe someone know the answer to this but do they count viewers on the Redzone channel?

 

[deroc5050]

I take these polls and data collection with a grain of salt. Especially when they start breaking it down by ethnic back grounds.

How the hell do they even accomplish that anyway? I don't remember comcast asking me if I was a white male.