3 ms·

Perhaps. However, there is evidence that the anthem protests are the leading cause of the sharp NFL viewership decline: http://www.forbes.com/sites/mikeozania

Perhaps. However, there is evidence that the anthem protests are the leading cause of the sharp NFL viewership decline: http://www.forbes.com/sites/mikeozanian/2016/10/05/confirmed-nfl-losing-millions-of-tv-viewers-because-of-national-anthem-protests/#3e9e1e1974b7 http://www.forbes.com/sites/mikeozanian/2016/10/05/confirmed... The NFL product hasn't changed that dramatically this season, and last season was an all-time record. That's not to say that the product itself isn't contributing to the decline, or to dismiss demographic shifts mentioned in a sibling comment, but rather to note that dismissing the ongoing culture-war element out of hand is foolish.

b2600 10y ago
That article and the poll it was based on are hardly reliable. The author had previously written this as speculation (he references this in the article) and that poll is viewed with skepticism by the linked article. Rasmussen has a built in sample bias and that's being generous. NFL has contradicted these assertions [1]. [1] http://www.wsj.com/articles/nfl-executives-blame-confluence-of-events-for-ratings-declines-1475853435 http://www.wsj.com/articles/nfl-executives-blame-confluence-...
swang 10y ago
the poll that your article cites from another article. and like that article says, (which maybe is why didn't you just link the original article) Rasmussen's polls lean conservative. there is definitely some people not watching because of the protests, but there are people who are just tired of goodell and the dumb crap he pulls. did you hit your wife? 1 game unless the public starts getting more angry about it. smoke weed? 6 game suspension. no no, make that 8 games. or drop 20 spots in the draft. celebrate on a touchdown? flag and a $20k fine later. deflating some footballs in which your team was already punished for doing so but you destroyed your cell phone and now you're making me look dumb? 4 games. all of this and the huge cte stuff the nfl wishes would go away has turned me off to watching any kind of football at all. so... maybe the protests? i bet a large majority of those polled still watch the nfl anyways, even as i sometimes do despite my frustrations. i know a lot of fans who don't give a shit about any of the above. they just want their team to WIN. but the fact of the matter is, the nfl product is terrible this season. it's just not very interesting at all unless you're one of the 5-1 teams

b2600 10y ago

That article and the poll it was based on are hardly reliable. The author had previously written this as speculation (he references this in the article) and that poll is viewed with skepticism by the linked article. Rasmussen has a built in sample bias and that's being generous. NFL has contradicted these assertions [1]. [1] http://www.wsj.com/articles/nfl-executives-blame-confluence-of-events-for-ratings-declines-1475853435 http://www.wsj.com/articles/nfl-executives-blame-confluence-...

swang 10y ago

the poll that your article cites from another article. and like that article says, (which maybe is why didn't you just link the original article) Rasmussen's polls lean conservative. there is definitely some people not watching because of the protests, but there are people who are just tired of goodell and the dumb crap he pulls. did you hit your wife? 1 game unless the public starts getting more angry about it. smoke weed? 6 game suspension. no no, make that 8 games. or drop 20 spots in the draft. celebrate on a touchdown? flag and a $20k fine later. deflating some footballs in which your team was already punished for doing so but you destroyed your cell phone and now you're making me look dumb? 4 games. all of this and the huge cte stuff the nfl wishes would go away has turned me off to watching any kind of football at all. so... maybe the protests? i bet a large majority of those polled still watch the nfl anyways, even as i sometimes do despite my frustrations. i know a lot of fans who don't give a shit about any of the above. they just want their team to WIN. but the fact of the matter is, the nfl product is terrible this season. it's just not very interesting at all unless you're one of the 5-1 teams