The viewership numbers for NFL games this 2016 season have been lower than last year’s, as a whole. Why is that the case?
There are multiple speculations.
The Kaepernick Effect
Some think the decrease in game viewership is due to players kneeling during the national anthem (started by 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick) to protest police shootings of unarmed minorities. To many Americans, this action is viewed as disrespectful and insulting to the country itself and especially the men and women of our armed forces. These feelings have turned into online campaigns featuring #BoycottNFL, and a large number of viewers abstaining from watching NFL football games. A national survey, by Rasmussen Reports, found that 32% of adults said they were less likely to watch an NFL game because of players protesting during the national anthem.
The Refs, Commercials and Over Saturation
We all remember the snafu with the replacement refs in 2012, but this year Monday Night Football announcer, Sean McDonough, pointed to referees’ over-officiating and excessive use of penalty flags as causing many games to become unwatchable.
“The way this game is being officiated, it’s not something anybody wants to watch” McDonough said while announcing the Jets vs Cardinals Monday Night Football game.
Combine flag happy refs with excessive commercials and you create a game that lasts far too long and is undesirable to watch.
Over saturation of the sport can also be attributed to decreases in NFL viewership.
Two years ago Mark Cuban predicted that the NFL would “implode” due to over saturation. After the NFL announced they were expanding their TV package Cuban (@mcuban) said, “They’re trying to take over every night of TV… at some point the people get sick of it… just watch. Pigs get fat, hogs get slaughtered. When you try to take it too far, people turn the other way.”
The Presidential Race
Out of all the potential reasons why NFL viewership has decreased this season, I think that the presidential race between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton was the greatest factor.
The NFL suffered viewership losses in all of their showings (Sunday Night Football, Monday Night Football, Thursday Night Football, Early Double Headers, Single Headers, and Late Double Headers).
Monday Night Football (MNF) suffered the most out of any other game time with 75% of the 16 games experiencing fewer viewers than the same time the previous season.
Late Double Headers (LDH) suffered the second most with 72% of their 18 double headers experiencing fewer viewers than the previous season.
Sunday Night Football (SNF) suffered the next most with 70% of their 17 games experiencing fewer viewers than the previous season.
Single Headers (SH) suffered the fourth most with 62% of their 16 games experiencing fewer viewers than the previous season.
Thursday Night Football (TNF) did better than many might have expected, but still suffered losses, with 57% of their 14 games experiencing fewer viewers than the previous season. Suggesting that the color rush uniforms for TNF did not help viewership.
Early Double Headers (EDH) brought up the rear with the best viewership percentages. However, over half (55%) of their 18 games still experienced fewer viewers than the previous season.
Many of these decreases in viewership during game times can be attributed to the 2016 Presidential Race. Game times like MNF, SNF, TNF, and EDH all experienced consistent viewership decreases from the beginning of the seasons all the way up to the Presidential Election on November 8.
However, starting week 10, just after Trump won the election, these game times saw increases in their viewership.
Monday Night Football had 3 out of their last 7 games experience viewership losses versus 9 out of 9 games during the election.
Sunday Night Football had 3 of their last 8 games experience viewership losses compared to 9 out of 9 games during the election.
Thursday Night Football had only 1 out of their last 6 games experience viewership losses, versus 7 out of 8 games during the election.
Lastly, Early Double Headers had only 3 out of their last 9 games experience viewership losses, compared to 7 out of 9 games during the election.
| Window | Game | Net | Rtg. | +/- | Vwrs. | +/- | Strm. | 18-49 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DH = Doubleheader; Single = Singleheader | ||||||||
WEEK SEVENTEEN |
||||||||
| SNF | GB/DET | NBC | 13.0 | -6% | 23.8M | -2% | — | — |
| Late DH | NYG/WSH (76%) | FOX | 12.3 | +3% | 22.4M | +7% | — | 7.4 |
| Early DH | DAL/PHI (79%) | FOX | 9.65 | +7% | 17.0M | +13% | — | — |
| Early DH | MIA/NE (61%) | CBS | 9.2 | -18% | 16.6M | -11% | — | — |
| Late DH | Regional action | CBS | 6.8 | -34% | 12.1M | -31% | — | — |
| Week seventeen numbers from ShowBuzz Daily, NBC Sports | ||||||||
WEEK SIXTEEN** TNF aired on NFL Network alone last year |
||||||||
| SNF | KC/DEN | NBC | 10.6 | +2% | 21.4M | +20% | 81K | 6.4 |
| MNF | DET/DAL | ESPN | 10.1 | +7% | 18.6M | +18% | 260K | 5.8 |
| Early DH | GB/MIN (71%) | FOX | 10.0 | +8% | 18.4M | +13% | — | — |
| TNF** | NYG/PHI | NBC, NFLN | 10.6 | +194% | 17.9M | +154% | 350K | 5.1 |
| Late DH | TB/NO (66%) | FOX | 8.1 | -48% | 15.4M | -44% | — | — |
| Special | PIT/BAL | NFLN | 6.5 | no gm. | 14.8M | no gm. | — | 4.5 |
| Single | Regional action | CBS | 7.7 | -25% | 14.2M | -19% | — | — |
| Special | CIN/HOU | NFLN | 3.2 | -32% | 6.3M | -23% | — | 1.9 |
| Week sixteen numbers from ShowBuzz Daily, NFL, NBC Sports, ESPN | ||||||||
WEEK FIFTEEN** TNF aired on NFL Network alone last year |
||||||||
| Late DH | NE/DEN (83%) | CBS | 14.3 | -2% | 25.0M | even | — | — |
| SNF | TB/DAL | NBC | 13.6 | +30% | 24.1M | +33% | — | 8.1 |
| Single | DET/NYG (48%) | FOX | 10.8 | -26% | 18.7M | -25% | — | — |
| Early DH | Regional action | CBS | 8.8 | +28% | 15.0M | +33% | — | — |
| TNF** | LA/SEA | NBC, NFLN | 8.8 | +132% | 14.7M | +144% | 321K | 4.3 |
| MNF | CAR/WSH | ESPN | 6.8 | +1% | 11.2M | +3% | 201K | 3.6 |
| Special | NYJ/MIA | NFLN | 2.5 | -42% | 4.4M | -41% | — | 1.3 |
| Week fifteen numbers from ShowBuzz Daily, NBC Sports, ESPN | ||||||||
WEEK FOURTEEN** TNF aired on NFL Network alone last year |
||||||||
| SNF | DAL/NYG | NBC | 14.9 | +21% | 26.5M | +26% | 208K | 8.7 |
| Late DH | SEA/GB (67%) | FOX | 14.4 | -13% | 25.3M | -13% | — | — |
| Single | Regional action | CBS | 11.2 | +3% | 19.1M | +3% | — | — |
| TNF** | OAK/KC | NBC, NFLN | 10.5 | +91% | 17.4M | +99% | 417K | 5.6 |
| MNF | BAL/NE | ESPN | 7.8 | +5% | 12.9M | +12% | 253K | 4.2 |
| Early DH | WSH/PHI (68%) | FOX | 7.5 | -16% | 12.3M | -19% | — | — |
| Week fourteen numbers from ShowBuzz Daily, NBC Sports | ||||||||
WEEK THIRTEEN |
||||||||
| Late DH | NYG/PIT (85%) | FOX | 14.6 | -10% | 25.4M | -11% | — | — |
| TNF | DAL/MIN | NBC, NFLN | 12.8 | +16% | 21.8M | +22% | 479K | 6.8 |
| Single | Regional action | CBS | 10.8 | +6% | 18.5M | +8% | — | — |
| SNF | CAR/SEA | NBC | 10.2 | -8% | 17.8M | -7% | — | 6.1 |
| Early DH | DET/NO (37%) | FOX | 7.3 | -22% | 12.2M | -21% | — | — |
| MNF | IND/NYJ | ESPN | 5.0 | -43% | 8.1M | -43% | 157K | 2.6 |
| Week thirteen numbers from ShowBuzz Daily, NBC Sports | ||||||||
WEEK TWELVE |
||||||||
| Special | WSH/DAL | FOX | 14.5 | +1% | 35.1M | +8% | — | 11.3 |
| Special | MIN/DET | CBS | 13.0 | +6% | 27.6M | +9% | — | — |
| Late DH | CAR/OAK (63%) | CBS | 13.2 | -14% | 23.5M | -12% | — | 6.9 |
| Special | IND/PIT | NBC | 10.1 | -27% | 20.9M | -25% | — | 6.9 |
| SNF | KC/DEN | NBC | 10.7 | -27% | 18.4M | -27% | — | 6.2 |
| Single | SEA/TB (39%) | FOX | 9.8 | -20% | 16.8M | -18% | — | 5.1 |
| MNF | GB/PHI | ESPN | 7.8 | +20% | 13.1M | +29% | 254K | 4.2 |
| Early DH | Regional action | CBS | 7.6 | +27% | 12.8M | +31% | — | 3.6 |
| Week twelve numbers from ShowBuzz Daily, Programming Insider, ESPN, Nielsen | ||||||||
WEEK ELEVEN** TNF aired on NFL Network alone last year |
||||||||
| Late DH | PHI/SEA (78%) | CBS | 13.6 | -12% | 24.4M | -11% | — | — |
| SNF | GB/WSH | NBC | 10.8 | +1% | 18.7M | +4% | — | 6.2 |
| Early DH | BAL/DAL (72%) | CBS | 10.2 | +26% | 17.6M | +28% | — | — |
| Single | CHI/NYG (30%) | FOX | 8.4 | -19% | 14.3M | -18% | — | — |
| TNF** | NO/CAR | NBC, NFLN | 8.1 | +93% | 13.3M | +101% | 305K | 4.2 |
| MNF | HOU/OAK (Mexico) | ESPN | 6.9 | -22% | 11.8M | -17% | 240K | 4.0 |
| Week eleven numbers from ShowBuzz Daily, NBC Sports Group Press Box | ||||||||
WEEK TEN |
||||||||
| Late DH | DAL/PIT (92%) | FOX | 16.4 | +1% | 28.9M | +2% | — | — |
| SNF | NE/SEA | NBC | 12.7 | +11% | 22.5M | +16% | 189K | 7.7 |
| Early DH | ATL/PHI (44%) | FOX | 9.4 | +11% | 15.9M | +13% | — | — |
| Single | Regional action | CBS | 7.8 | -33% | 13.2M | -33% | — | — |
| MNF | CIN/NYG | ESPN | 6.7 | -13% | 10.7M | -12% | 234K | 3.6 |
| TNF | BAL/CLE | NFLN | 3.5 | -27% | 5.7M | -25% | — | 2.0 |
| Week ten numbers from ShowBuzz Daily, Programming Insider | ||||||||
WEEK NINE |
||||||||
| Late DH | IND/GB (87%) | CBS | 11.7 | -18% | 20.2M | -16% | — | — |
| Single | DAL/CLE (31%) | FOX | 11.6 | -7% | 20.2M | -4% | — | — |
| SNF | DEN/OAK | NBC | 10.4 | -24% | 18.3M | -20% | — | 6.6 |
| Early DH | Regional action | CBS | 6.9 | -15% | 11.3M | -14% | — | — |
| MNF | BUF/SEA | ESPN | 6.9 | -5% | 11.3M | -2% | 241K | 3.8 |
| TNF | ATL/TB | NFLN | 3.6 | -35% | 5.8M | -34% | — | 2.1 |
| Week nine numbers from ShowBuzz Daily, Programming Insider, ESPN | ||||||||
WEEK EIGHT** TNF aired on CBS last year |
||||||||
| Late DH | GB/ATL | FOX | 13.1 | -23% | 22.7M | -23% | — | — |
| SNF | PHI/DAL | NBC | 10.2 | -22% | 18.0M | -22% | — | 6.5 |
| Single | Regional action | CBS | 9.5 | +13% | 16.2M | +15% | — | — |
| Early DH | SEA/NO (64%) | FOX | 7.7 | -24% | 12.8M | -23% | — | — |
| MNF | MIN/CHI | ESPN | 6.4 | -18% | 10.5M | -16% | 199K | 3.5 |
| Special | WSH/CIN (London) | FOX | 5.5 | +4% | 8.7M | +4% | — | — |
| TNF** | JAX/TEN | NFLN | 3.2 | -71% | 5.1M | -71% | — | 1.8 |
| Week eight numbers from ShowBuzz Daily, Programming Insider | ||||||||
WEEK SEVEN** Compared to streaming game last year |
||||||||
| Late DH | NE/PIT | CBS | 12.6 | -13% | 21.7M | -11% | — | — |
| SNF | SEA/AZ | NBC | 10.2 | -16% | 17.7M | -14% | — | 6.0 |
| Single | MIN/PHI (46%) | FOX | 10.1 | -13% | 16.9M | -12% | — | — |
| TNF | GB/CHI | CBS, NFLN | 8.6 | -18% | 14.2M | -17% | — | 4.5 |
| Early DH | Regional action | CBS | 7.0 | -11% | 11.3M | -9% | — | — |
| MNF | HOU/DEN | ESPN | 6.7 | -14% | 11.2M | -8% | 236K | 3.7 |
| Special** | NYG/LA (London) | NFLN | 2.4 | — | 3.7M | +125% | — | — |
| Week seven numbers from ShowBuzz Daily, Programming Insider | ||||||||
WEEK SIX |
||||||||
| Late DH | DAL/GB (86%) | FOX | 15.8 | +9% | 28.0M | +12% | — | — |
| Single | Regional action | CBS | 10.2 | -4% | 17.2M | -4% | — | — |
| TNF | DEN/SD | CBS, NFLN | 8.7 | -6% | 14.5M | -2% | — | 4.7 |
| SNF | IND/HOU | NBC | 8.1 | -38% | 13.6M | -40% | — | 4.9 |
| Early DH | PHI/WSH (39%) | FOX | 7.7 | -29% | 13.2M | -28% | — | — |
| MNF | NYJ/AZ | ESPN | 5.2 | -40% | 8.4M | -40% | 200K | 3.0 |
| Week six numbers from ShowBuzz Daily, Programming Insider | ||||||||
WEEK FIVE** SNF aired opposite presidential debate |
||||||||
| Late DH | CIN/DAL (80%) | CBS | 12.1 | -20% | 21.3M | -18% | — | — |
| Single | ATL/DEN (43%) | FOX | 9.4 | -14% | 16.5M | -9% | — | — |
| SNF** | NYG/GB | NBC | 9.3 | -21% | 16.6M | -15% | — | 5.9 |
| Early DH | Regional action | CBS | 9.0 | +8% | 15.2M | +12% | — | — |
| TNF | AZ/SF | CBS, NFLN | 7.4 | -22% | 12.1M | -20% | — | 4.1 |
| MNF | TB/CAR | ESPN | 5.6 | -27% | 9.1M | -26% | 214K | 3.3 |
| Week five numbers from ShowBuzz Daily, Programming Insider | ||||||||
WEEK FOUR** TNF aired on CBS last year |
||||||||
| Late DH | DAL/SF (84%) | FOX | 13.1 | -13% | 22.7M | -12% | — | — |
| SNF | KC/PIT | NBC | 10.3 | -27% | 18.1M | -25% | 116K | 6.7 |
| Single | Regional action | CBS | 9.4 | -2% | 16.4M | +4% | — | — |
| MNF | NYG/MIN | ESPN | 8.0 | -11% | 13.2M | -9% | 262K | 4.7 |
| Early DH | SEA/NYJ (43%) | FOX | 6.7 | -14% | 11.2M | -13% | — | — |
| TNF** | MIA/CIN | NFLN | 4.8 | -59% | 7.9M | -59% | — | 3.0 |
| Special | IND/JAX (London) | CBS | 4.8 | -25% | 7.7M | -22% | — | — |
| Week four numbers from Programming Insider, ShowBuzz Daily | ||||||||
WEEK THREE** MNF aired opposite presidential debate |
||||||||
| Late DH | PIT/PHI (52%) | CBS | 12.6 | -2% | 22.0M | -1% | — | 7.1 |
| SNF | CHI/DAL | NBC | 11.7 | -11% | 20.6M | -7% | 125K | 7.6 |
| Single | WSH/NYG (31%) | FOX | 11.1 | +3% | 19.2M | +5% | — | — |
| TNF | HOU/NE | CBS, NFLN | 10.6 | +1% | 17.5M | +4% | 398K | 6.1 |
| Early DH | Regional action | CBS | 8.0 | -13% | 13.1M | -13% | — | — |
| MNF** | ATL/NO | ESPN | 4.9 | -41% | 8.0M | -40% | 209K | 3.1 |
| Week three numbers from ShowBuzz Daily, Programming Insider, NBC Sports, ESPN, CBS/NFL Network | ||||||||
WEEK TWO |
||||||||
| SNF | GB/MIN | NBC | 12.7 | -16% | 22.8M | -14% | 202K | 8.2 |
| Late DH | IND/DEN (74%) | CBS | 12.2 | -21% | 21.4M | -21% | — | 7.0 |
| Single | DAL/WSH (36%) | FOX | 11.0 | +12% | 19.2M | +15% | — | — |
| TNF | NYJ/BUF | CBS, NFLN | 9.5 | -26% | 15.4M | -27% | 314K | 5.4 |
| Early DH | Regional action | CBS | 8.5 | -8% | 14.4M | -6% | — | — |
| MNF | PHI/CHI | ESPN | 7.3 | -10% | 12.1M | -3% | 295K | 4.5 |
| Week two numbers from ShowBuzz Daily, NBC Sports, ESPN, CBS/NFL Network | ||||||||
WEEK ONE |
||||||||
| Late DH | NYG/DAL (90%) | FOX | 15.5 | +15% | 27.5M | +18% | — | — |
| Kickoff | CAR/DEN | NBC | 14.6 | -10% | 25.2M | -8% | 278K | 9.4 |
| SNF | NE/AZ | NBC | 13.1 | -15% | 23.1M | -14% | 196K | 8.4 |
| Single | Regional action | CBS | 9.3 | -20% | 16.0M | -20% | — | — |
| Early DH | GB/JAX (34%) | FOX | 9.2 | +2% | 15.8M | +6% | — | — |
| MNF | PIT/WSH | ESPN | 7.7 | -9% | 13.0M | -4% | 306K | 4.8 |
| MNF | LA/SF | ESPN | 6.2 | -30% | 10.3M | -28% | 308K | 4.2 |
| Week one numbers from ShowBuzz Daily, NBC Sports, ESPN, CBS Sports | ||||||||
General Editor: Macy Marin
Citations
- R. (2016, October 4). Are Americans Tuning Out the NFL Over Protests? Retrieved January 04, 2017, from http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/current_events/social_issues/are_americans_tuning_out_the_nfl_over_protests
- Dolloff, M. (2016, October 18). Monday Night Football Ratings Hit Record Low For Second Straight Week. Retrieved January 04, 2017, from http://boston.cbslocal.com/2016/10/18/nfl-ratings-monday-night-football-week-6-national-anthem-protests/
- Hubbuch, B. (2016, October 25). 'Monday Night Football' ratings have fallen off a cliff. Retrieved January 04, 2017, from http://nypost.com/2016/10/25/monday-night-football-ratings-have-fallen-off-a-cliff/
- Pittman, T. (2016, October 5). Boycott over anthem protests plays role in NFL ratings drop, poll suggests. Retrieved January 04, 2017, from http://www.king5.com/sports/nfl/boycott-nfl-anthem-protests-ratings-drop/329250293 [Link broken as of 5/4/2020]
- Ruiz, S. (n.d.). Mark Cuban called the NFL ratings decline two years ago. Retrieved October 19, 2016, from http://ftw.usatoday.com/2016/10/mark-cuban-nfl-tv-ratings-decline
- The NFL TV Ratings Page. (2016, December 29). Retrieved January 04, 2017, from http://www.sportsmediawatch.com/nfl-tv-ratings-viewership-nbc-cbs-fox-espn-nfln-regular-season-playoffs/
