You'll get plenty of people to disagree with this opinion (even the networks / NFL themselves: see all the different reasons they come with for ratings decline)

You'll get plenty of people to disagree with this opinion (even the networks / NFL themselves: see all the different reasons they come with for ratings decline). But this is exactly why I and many of my family and friends have: 1) stopped watching the NFL this year and 2) stopped watching ESPN years ago Another contribution to decline of NFL is the scandals involving domestic abuse. All of these factors come together to alienate the audience, who is increasingly at odds culturally with the message being pushed by ESPN and the like.