This is paywalled but the crux of it is that NFL's viewership has been in decline (something in the ballpark of 11-17%) the past year due to their desire to mak

This is paywalled but the crux of it is that NFL's viewership has been in decline (something in the ballpark of 11-17%) the past year due to their desire to make things political and partisan. The NFL game is increasingly designed to appeal to a superficial viewer who expects exciting special effects, and also to fantasy sports/gambling addicts. I don’t think the heart of TV viewership is really in either one of those categories. A lot of the appeal of sports and entertainment is based on escape from politics and serious concerns. Bring them into those areas and, by definition, the audience will grow smaller.