The NFL has become a political circus as they continue to promote and/or tolerate leftist causes. The protests against the Flag and the Anthem are simply anti-American and fans are increasingly staying away from NFL TV broadcasts.
Is it time for Roger Goodell and the NFL to hit the panic button?
Last week’s Sunday Night Football matchup drew in its lowest ratings in seven years (Monday Night Football didn’t fare any better) and last night’s game between the Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings fell even further. According to Deadline, the primetime portion of last night’s game scored a 13.7/22 in Nielsen’s metered market ratings as the Vikings went on to beat the Packers 17-14. Not only is that down 18% from last year’s ratings, it’s also a 9% dip compared to the SNF opener just last week.
There are a number of reasons why Sunday Night Football could have underperformed in the ratings. For starters, last night’s game was forced to compete with the Emmys, which scored a 8.4/13 in the MM ratings. Secondly, the game itself wasn’t exactly audience friendly thanks to stout defensive performances from both teams. Lastly, many casual NFL fans have yet to forget about Vikings running back Adrian Peterson’s indictment for child abuse back in 2014.
But still, the NFL’s decline in the ratings is becoming more of a true pattern and less of a passing phase, especially as the National Anthem protest continues onward.