The bill has come due for the NFL

[carpro]

NFL Ad Revenue Crashes Due to 2017 Ratings Decline

The National Football League’s 2018 ad revenue has sharply declined due to the crashing television ratings the league suffered in 2016 and 2017, according to reports.

The NFL’s TV ratings suffered a precipitous loss over the previous two seasons, with the 2016-2017 numbers down 10 percent. TV ad pricing is based on previous ratings periods, and so these declines seriously cut into the ad prices that the league could charge for the 2018 TV season.

Because of the bad numbers from last season, ad revenue fell 19 percent in the first two months of the 2018 season, Bloomberg reported.

 

[Mikey]

NFL Ad Revenue Crashes Due to 2017 Ratings Decline

The National Football League’s 2018 ad revenue has sharply declined due to the crashing television ratings the league suffered in 2016 and 2017, according to reports.

The NFL’s TV ratings suffered a precipitous loss over the previous two seasons, with the 2016-2017 numbers down 10 percent. TV ad pricing is based on previous ratings periods, and so these declines seriously cut into the ad prices that the league could charge for the 2018 TV season.

Because of the bad numbers from last season, ad revenue fell 19 percent in the first two months of the 2018 season, Bloomberg reported.

anyone want to speculate as to why there is a viewership decline?

The "black lives matter" protests of players,liberal identity politics at odds with viewers? Rule changes?

 

[church mouse guy]

Indianapolis borrowed eight hundred million dollars against future property taxes to build Lucas Oil Stadium for the Indianapolis Colts and the players won't even stand so people stop going to the games in droves. The Irsay family really sold us a pig in a poke.

 

[InTheLight]

anyone want to speculate as to why there is a viewership decline?

The "black lives matter" protests of players,liberal identity politics at odds with viewers? Rule changes?

I think it has a bit to do with both of those things plus pace of play and the incredible amount of TV commercials during the game.

I gave up the NFL after the Adrian Peterson beating his four year old child incident, but here is what I see wrong with the NFL:

1. Pace of play. Coaches challenges, injuries, instant replay reviews, etc. Coaches challenges trigger video replay reviews and the ludicrous images of officials looking at a tablet sized video screen to review the play. Also mandatory video review of scoring plays. Add up all the delays and you have a disjointed, lurching game.

It doesn't help that TV games are overladen with commercials. Next time you watch a game notice this sequence. A team scores. The officials review the play. The play is shown to viewers at home about 7-8 times from various angles in slo-mo. After three minutes the scoring play is confirmed. The teams assemble for the extra point attempt. Extra point is good. Two and a half minutes of commercials. Kickoff is made. Sails through the endzone or caught in the endzone, either way there is almost never a kick return. Two and a half minutes of commercials. On the ensuing play an offensive lineman rolls an ankle. There are replays of the injury. The lineman lays on the ground as trainers gather around him. After about three minutes of this, a motorized cart is finally brought onto the field. Two and a half minutes of commercials. Next play there is a penalty. One minute delay. On the next play there is a penalty. One minute delay. During this sequence about 15 minutes have elapsed. You have seen five plays.

2. Pass interference. What is it? Does anyone know? If this is a known rule, why does it seem to get called certain times and other times it isn't?

 

[InTheLight]

As to the players kneeling during the national anthem, the NFL created a new policy that the players must stand or be fined. This is on top of the existing NFL rule that players must stand. It's all moot because the TV networks no longer show the national anthem being sung, except during the Super Bowl. With no one at home seeing them kneeling, the players have given up on it.

 

[Salty]

I see a major problem is the high cost of attending a game.- then coupled with the kneeling, actions of players off
the field and ect - many have decided enough

 

[carpro]

Attendance at games may be down, but advertising rates, I believe are based on TV ratings. Those are 2 separate issues.

And the NFL survives only as long as TV revenue stays up. If it does , whether or not people actually attend games is not going to change anything they do or don't do.

 

[church mouse guy]

I see a major problem is the high cost of attending a game.- then coupled with the kneeling, actions of players off
the field and ect - many have decided enough

You're right about the outrageous price of an NFL game. I saw one game forty years ago. It was a lot of fun. Now the rich have taken over professional sports. I have seem a couple of dozen minor league baseball games and they are affordable and a barrel of fun. I have seen two major league baseball games and three or four NBA games. All of these games are out of reach of the lower middle class.

 

[tyndale1946]

If football isn't long enough, remember the days when the player ran into the end zone... Scored a touchdown and gave the football to the referee and the game continued... Now they all gather in the end zone and take a family photo after the play or some other zany antic... I tend to watch college now as the NFL seems to be auditioning for clowns... Brother Glen

 

[OnlyaSinner]

I've attended 3 NFL games, though they were only a few years after the animals left the ark. Paid a mere $5 for an end zone seat in the old Baltimore Memorial for a 1964 Colts game, and the 2 Jets games in 1968 were on my uncle's season tickets, so I've no idea of the cost. 1st one was against the Pats in a cold northeast gale, and the 2nd was the AFC championship game to see who would get crushed (so everyone thought) by the Colts in SB3.

The off-field issues concerning players might've been less distracting had the league office been proactive. Given any collection of 1700 young men (most in their 20s), one is bound to find some bad apples and or stupid/awful behavior. That's not to minimize those crimes, but the league's stonewalling, then reconsidering, then waffling, then... Worthy of contempt.

 

[InTheLight]

When I got married I got access to my wife's family Vikings season tickets, which have been in the family since 1964. We started using them in the late 1990's. First row seats in the second deck on the goal line, pretty good seats. They were $48 each. By the time we abandoned the tickets in 2011--we didn't renew for the new US Bank Stadium--they were $103 each.

 

[Deacon]

I stopped watching after I cut the cable cord.

Can’t be bothered with pay per view.

I don’t find the players or the teams as inspiring as I did as a youth...
Bunch of highly paid sports brats.

Rob

 

[InTheLight]

Take a look at this play. Bobby Wagner of the Seahawks puts his hands on the backs of two of his teammates and uses them to vault himself over the line of scrimmage. This allows him to get his hands up and block the Viking's field goal attempt. The official immediately throws a penalty flag. But....then he picks up the flag and it is announced that there was no penalty.

[maximize the YouTube window to see the play better.]

I thought it was a nice play until I learned the rule.

Mike Periera, the former NFL VP for officiating, tweeted: “Lots of talk about the Wagner block. The wording in the rule book is NEW this year and is clear. The new wording states, “May not place a hand or hands on a teammate or opponent in an attempt to jump through a gap to block an opponent’s kick or apparent kick.” Case closed. Foul.”


What's wrong with the NFL? Officials don't know the rules.

 

[777]

yeah, I know it's fashionable for the right to boycott the NFL these days, but those people that do that and make a big deal about it are just virtual signaling as conservatives IMO.

That's another thing that is wrong with the NFL, everything, and I mean everything, is now geared for the offense. They just have to have those high-scoring games, but the Chiefs v. Rams a few weeks back - a shoot out, no defense whatsoever, bleh.

The rules Bobby broke:

Placing a hand or hands on a teammate or opponent to gain additional height to block or attempt to block an opponent’s kick or apparent kick, or in an attempt to jump through a gap to block an opponent’s kick or apparent kick.

that's exactly what he did, don't care if Pete saw him practicing the play correctly.

Report: Vikings Contact NFL over Bobby Wagner Non-Call on Field-Goal Block

a "judgement call", how so? This was a new rule and all you have to do is see the play to realize Bobby should have been penalized. Zimmer's hands were tied.

 

[Deacon]

Older fans are not willing to put up with all the .... stuff going on
and (particularly on the east coast) we’re not willing (or able) to stay up late anymore.

The game is not drawing as many young fans as it used to

Rob

 

[OnlyaSinner]

yeah, I know it's fashionable for the right to boycott the NFL these days, but those people that do that and make a big deal about it are just virtual signaling as conservatives IMO.

That's another thing that is wrong with the NFL, everything, and I mean everything, is now geared for the offense. They just have to have those high-scoring games, but the Chiefs v. Rams a few weeks back - a shoot out, no defense whatsoever, bleh.

You must've enjoyed Rams-Bears last Sunday. Bears' D turned Goff into one of the league's worst QB, at least for one game, and quashed Gurley as well. 54 points against the Chiefs, 2 figgies against the Bears.

 

[InTheLight]

NFL VP of Officiating: Bobby Wagner should've been flagged on blocked Vikings field goal
Al Riveron, the NFL’s Vice President of Officiating, said the Seahawks should’ve been penalized while blocking the Vikings field goal attempt in the fourth quarter of Monday night’s loss.

NFL VP of Officiating: Bobby Wagner should've been flagged on blocked Vikings field goal

 

[Yeshua1]

anyone want to speculate as to why there is a viewership decline?

The "black lives matter" protests of players,liberal identity politics at odds with viewers? Rule changes?

Too many bad match ups during the Mon/Thurs prime time broadcasts, knelling controversy, problems with players smacking around women and Nfl turning a blind eye, Football and concussion issues, and some seeing it as being too violent!

 

[InTheLight]

I think it has a bit to do with both of those things plus pace of play and the incredible amount of TV commercials during the game.

2. Pass interference. What is it? Does anyone know? If this is a known rule, why does it seem to get called certain times and other times it isn't?

The happened in the NFC Championship game. This was not ruled pass interference. The NFL rules do not permit a replay review.

The Play:

 

[church mouse guy]

The happened in the NFC Championship game. This was not ruled pass interference. The NFL rules do not permit a replay review.

The Play:

Thanks for posting this!

American Spectator says that the NFL is messed up and that video that you posted shows an uncalled personal foul:

"Worse will be the unshakable feeling among many that somehow the NFL office’s hand was on the scale in that game. Both conference championship games pitted large-market teams — the Rams and the New England Patriots — against small-market teams in the Saints and the Kansas City Chiefs. The Saints-Rams game came first, which meant that if the NFL wanted to avoid the prospect of two small markets facing off in the Super Bowl, the league’s biggest television payday event of the year, then New Orleans couldn’t win that game.

"Conspiracy theory? Sure. It isn’t any more implausible than Robey-Coleman’s helmet-to-helmet shot on Lewis before the ball arrived not being a penalty.

"If the league office really was coddling Los Angeles in hopes of promoting pro football to what has been a fairly unfriendly market over the years — both the Rams and Raiders failed in Los Angeles and moved to other markets, though the Rams are now back with the promise of a multi-billion dollar stadium coming in 2020 — then surely it won’t mind if those of us in Louisiana and neighboring states who have tolerated Roger Goodell’s mismanagement for the sole purpose of rooting Drew Brees and his team to the Super Bowl now choose to boycott viewing the event. It seems at least somewhat apparent we aren’t the eyeballs the NFL is looking for.

"But mistakes do add up. And Goodell’s office is a serial maker of them."


Go to Hell, NFL (Same Might Be Happening to Furloughed Feds)