Florio: Early Season Ratings Decline Continues for NFL

[ThatllMoveTheChains!!!]

Thanks for telling everyone how to think, Hillary

 

[Joker]

I have to admit that hearing that the ratings went down each week, gives me more pleasure than hearing that the Jets lost. I mean what do they expect? Given the practice limitations, teams really aren't ready to play for real anytime before October. I'm sure that's one of the reasons we get so many injuries so early in the season. They still aren't in football shape. I would guess that back before the current CBA, teams had as much contact in a week as they do now in the entire preseason. Most starters play less and less in the preseason games, and yet are all expected to 1oo% on opening day. Is it any wonder we see missed tackles even by some of the better players in the league?

All this shyt started with the Colts and Manning crying like babies back in 2004. The egomania of the Forehead supported by the criminally insane Irsay and his empire lobbied hard and made alliances with rules committee members with a Patriot axe to grind...such as that reprehensible tickbrain, former head Jeff Fisher. Little did these morons expect that Tom Brady would benefit as much and to some degree even more than the steroid addled Forehead. It was Manning that wanted less contact and far more offense friendly rules. The league complied. Then Azzoledell was greased in by the Mara/Rooney faction and the rest is history...just like the game we all grew up on and love.

 

[Tuck]

Curious is Kraft saw this coming when resigned from the tv committee a few months ago.

 

[RobertWeathers]

This entire f###### forum has become a political board. And it sucks.

...and it stinks.

 

[Fencer]

I'm late to this thread, but the WSJ suggests that the NFL's head of media is blaming the absence of stars, with the article author namechecking Brady, Fivehead, Romo, and Petersen.

I'm not sure whether this is what the guy really thinks, or whether the reporter put words in his mouth and got a weak form of agreement from him.

NFL Blames Missing Stars For Down Ratings To Start 2016 - RealGM Wiretap

 

[oldrover]

I'm shocked that the Sportscenter anchors aren't wearing "I'm with her" t-shirts.

"What can I say? They love me! They really love me!"

 

[DaBruinz]

story picked up in the wall street journal today:

WSJ: Ratings Fumble for NFL Surprises Networks, Advertisers

(clicking on the link takes you to lmgtfy.com, which automatically performs a google search for the article. click on the first link that shows up in the search results. doing it this way gets you past WSJ's pay wall).

Things that stand out to me from the article:

“We’re scratching our heads,” said Andy Donchin, a media buyer at Amplifi US, an ad-buying unit of Dentsu Aegis Network, whose clients include General Motors Co. “We cannot pinpoint any specific reason why the numbers are down. It is probably being caused by a confluence of events.”

One reason often cited is the election.

We’re missing some stars out there,” said Brian Rolapp, the NFL’s head of media, who noted the NFL has gotten off to slow starts before “and [has] done just fine.”

[Walt Disney Co.’s ESPN has experienced the biggest drop, down 17% to an average 11.3 million viewers. Excluding the game up against the debate, ESPN is off 11%.[/quote]

I don't believe that the election has anything to do with the viewership being down.

I DO think that Deflategate has had a much bigger impact on viewership than the league is willing to admit. They kind of acknowledge it with Rolapp saying that the league is "missing a few stars", but they aren't willing to admit that the situation is of their own doing. I also think that ESPN's viewership is down significantly because of their biased reporting in Deflategate.

Deflategate is, imho, the pinnacle of the league screwing itself. They fabricated a story they thought would cause viewership to skyrocket. In the end, more people than they realized have seen through the lies and decided that the league isn't trustworthy anymore.

 

[varjao]

Look at this crap on TV, Im only watching because I have money on the game.

 

[bbobbo]

Things that stand out to me from the article:


I don't believe that the election has anything to do with the viewership being down.

I DO think that Deflategate has had a much bigger impact on viewership than the league is willing to admit. They kind of acknowledge it with Rolapp saying that the league is "missing a few stars", but they aren't willing to admit that the situation is of their own doing. I also think that ESPN's viewership is down significantly because of their biased reporting in Deflategate.

Deflategate is, imho, the pinnacle of the league screwing itself. They fabricated a story they thought would cause viewership to skyrocket. In the end, more people than they realized have seen through the lies and decided that the league isn't trustworthy anymore.

the end of the article seems to support that statement as well:

Not all sports broadcasts are on a downward trend. NBA ratings were up for the regular season and the finals, as was the NHL. While the NFL is enduring a tough fall, college football ratings have remained strong thanks to several nail-biter finishes and a format that makes every game life or death.

 

[Franchise12]

I am thoroughly enjoying the fact that i have a front row seat to witness the beginning of the end for this P.O.S. league. Couldnt happen to a more fitting group of owners, commisioner, and NYJFL league office flunkies. I love this team but after the series of witch hunts i hope hope Mark Cubans thoughts on the NFL ring prophetic.

 

[deroc5050]

I am not sure how I really feel about the NFL losing viewership. I still love watching the pats play so its kind of disingenuous for me to root for the NFL to decline and lose money. Hopefully Roger gets fired and the pats keep on winning.

 

[ThatllMoveTheChains!!!]

I am not sure how I really feel about the NFL losing viewership. I still love watching the pats play so its kind of disingenuous for me to root for the NFL to decline and lose money. Hopefully Roger gets fired and the pats keep on winning.

The NFL isn't going to fold up shop in our lifetimes, so there's really no conflict in hoping the ratings drop if do don't like the current direction.

 

[woolster22]

IIRC, if Fraudger is fired, he gets a ridiculous golden parachute of roughly $150 mil. I could be, and pray i am wrong. If I am correct, he won't be fired, as his cost to the 32 absent his services would cost more than keeping his disingenuous ass around to further the watering down, and over officiating of the game. At that point, we have a full contact version of the NBA, where skill players are protected, while the big fellas doing work in the trenches continue to battle and take the usual head shots that are guaranteed due to the nature of the positions (lb, ol, dl, rb). CTE is a real thing.

Then there's the browns fumble thing. No cameras on the goaline. Increasing "judgement calls," called every damn game. Flags for dancing, fining teams for posting on twitter...ffs. really? Is the NFL afraid a team wronged by their "establishment refs" (that female one is ****. How many offside did she miss in the game for us last year? I think there were 4 or 5 obvious ones, a few more borderline. Then this **** last week, but hey, they gave a female ref!) will post the readily available footage of the screw up in real time? That's my best guess. Hey NFL, I record the only games IGAF about, I can readily create numerous Google and YouTube accounts, and simply record my god damn tv screen and post ad nauseam.

Maybe the on field problems should be addressed (remember that roll out pass Brady threw last year, blown dead because, incompetent ref thought he was oob, when he was at closest, 1 yard from the sideline). My apologies for cycling back to refs. But FFS, a now and arrow celebration twice and your kicked from the game? Meanwhile picking fights pregame is worth a minimal fine, when said fights include training staff (Edelman paid more for his crackback than any bill involved in the pregame scuffle, again, IIRC).

Long story short, **** the NFL. **** Herrdell, and **** any owner too stupid too see the writing on the wall. The red seat asshats who can't make noise on 3rd down at home in 60 degree drizzle, are not the people who eat the product up all week. That ****ty bar in the end zone? What's the season ticket holder cost on that? Yep, that appeals to the average Joe, nfl fan. Keep pricing them out of half decent seats, and keep watching ratings plummet. How many average Joe's can eat 750-1k to bring 2 kids to A GAME?

In short, **** this league, **** all 32, and let's go Tf'nB.

 

[The Brandon Five]

Things that stand out to me from the article:

[Walt Disney Co.’s ESPN has experienced the biggest drop, down 17% to an average 11.3 million viewers. Excluding the game up against the debate, ESPN is off 11%.

I don't believe that the election has anything to do with the viewership being down.

I DO think that Deflategate has had a much bigger impact on viewership than the league is willing to admit. They kind of acknowledge it with Rolapp saying that the league is "missing a few stars", but they aren't willing to admit that the situation is of their own doing. I also think that ESPN's viewership is down significantly because of their biased reporting in Deflategate.

Deflategate is, imho, the pinnacle of the league screwing itself. They fabricated a story they thought would cause viewership to skyrocket. In the end, more people than they realized have seen through the lies and decided that the league isn't trustworthy anymore.

Maybe it's not so good for business to piss off about 5% of the total population (New England).

 

[woolster22]

Maybe it's not so good for business to piss off about 5% of the total population (New England).

I'm still disappointed nobody has burned down his house in Maine yet. 2 prouts neck way IIRC. Wells, ME. The coward has the previous owners listed on the land line, while deeding in a lease agreement to them on the "guest house," as the original owners had 2 adjacent properties for sale. They went through the trouble of combining the deeds as one, which saved Goodell a bunch on taxes, as it completely changed the "highest and best use," appraisal, plus some Maine loophole I don't fully understand.

 

[woolster22]

Correction, originally 2 and 4*

 

[Joker]

I'm still disappointed nobody has burned down his house in Maine yet. 2 prouts neck way IIRC. Wells, ME. The coward has the previous owners listed on the land line, while deeding in a lease agreement to them on the "guest house," as the original owners had 2 adjacent properties for sale. They went through the trouble of combining the deeds as one, which saved Goodell a bunch on taxes, as it completely changed the "highest and best use," appraisal, plus some Maine loophole I don't fully understand.

I've been telling you guys this azzole is a common ****in' criminal for ten years. When does the federal government investigate this jerkoff? He's so goddamned stupid the paper trail must be a veritable LIBRARY.

 

[1960Pats]

Great. Just great! Two of the only things left in the world that bring any sense of joy, and now I have to choose between them? Patriots or busts.... can I see a picture of the busts before I decide?

Here's one of the busts...

 

[PScottman]

I think others have mentioned delivery method as another in the Pu-pu platter number of different, and valid, reasons for decline, but I'll bring it up again: phones, internet, slingbox, DVRs, and numerous other alternative ways to get the game content continue to pop up. None tracked specifically, nor collated with the other ways and means. So are the ratings significantly down? Maybe, or maybe not as much as we think, because content is consumed through other opportunities.

Add that to the validity of all of these other areas you folks have mentioned - each with their own merits and likely the parts do make up the whole.

I'm a big believer in people seizing back power through the combined might of their purchasing capabilities. Unfortunately, two factors really impact this - subsidies and a inability (or unwillingness) of the majority of customers to unite in common cause. ESPN has taken massive losses, and still is able to extend current contracts because the other revenue streams under the Disney umbrella flourish. On the consumer side there's so many of us, the numbers of people so wide, that the boycott doesn't have the same impacts.

People decry the politics brought into the forums, and I concur, political talk for the sake of it, is kind of pointless as we've "fan"-ized politics in similar methods to sports. Our candidate is ours...personally. Red Sox and Yankees and neither will convince the other of their "teams" foibles. With that however, is that politics have crept into everything - subsidies and purchasing power are political just as an example. They are impacted by our and government decisions therefore so is the NFL.

Doesn't mean we have to like it (I certainly do not), but we do have to deal with it - in all its ugly detail.

 

[ANGR89]

You know I thought it was just me with losing interest because of deflategate etc, because I use to be excited on ALL game days, just because I love the game, now it's just for the Patriots game, hell I actually forgot game last night until someone from work text me their pick, still didn't watch it. but its not just me and it's not just Patriots fans, people at work who are not Patriots fans have also talked about how they have lost interest but can't explain why. they say they only really follow because of fantasy. Just crazy how one very corrupt office is ruining this game for so many people.