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MNF Down - down 26% from last year - in Second Preseason Outing

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NC2017

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Apr 21, 2015
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http://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2018/08/nfl-preseason-ratings-mnf-espn/

Monday’s Ravens-Colts NFL preseason game earned a 1.7 rating and 2.66 million viewers on ESPN, down 26% in both measures from last year (Giants-Browns: 2.3, 3.57M). There was no comparable game in 2016.

Excluding games on NFL Network, the 1.7 rating is the fourth-lowest for any preseason game since 2004. ESPN has aired three of the four lowest rated games over that span, including Jets-Washington on Thursday and Buccaneers-Jaguars last year (1.6 for both).

MNF ranked just sixth for the night in adults 18-49 (0.8) behind ABC’s The Bachelor (1.3), USA’s WWE Raw (1.1), NBC’s American Ninja Warrior (1.0), MTV’s Video Music Awards (1.0) and VHI’s Love and Hip Hop Hollywood (1.0)
 
NC2017 said:
http://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2018/08/nfl-preseason-ratings-mnf-espn/

Monday’s Ravens-Colts NFL preseason game earned a 1.7 rating and 2.66 million viewers on ESPN, down 26% in both measures from last year (Giants-Browns: 2.3, 3.57M). There was no comparable game in 2016.

Excluding games on NFL Network, the 1.7 rating is the fourth-lowest for any preseason game since 2004. ESPN has aired three of the four lowest rated games over that span, including Jets-Washington on Thursday and Buccaneers-Jaguars last year (1.6 for both).

MNF ranked just sixth for the night in adults 18-49 (0.8) behind ABC’s The Bachelor (1.3), USA’s WWE Raw (1.1), NBC’s American Ninja Warrior (1.0), MTV’s Video Music Awards (1.0) and VHI’s Love and Hip Hop Hollywood (1.0)
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Preseason football blows.
 
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i think it is pretty much football overload. there is hardly an off season anymore for the NFL and the talking media sports shows. so where pre-season used to be when fans started to get back into the NFL after 6 months off and the summer coming to a close, now nobody cares and they are just waiting for the regular season. although i do think that NFL veiwership will be down again this year due to all the off field stuff. people turned it of last year and recognized they don't need it and aren't coming back as hard core fans. and that will only continue to happen this year also.
 
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Yeah, it's hard to believe that more 3 million people would want to watch a meaningless game between the Colts and Ravens on a Monday night in August. Oh wait ... no, it isn't.
 
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TV ratings in general have been down across the board for years (for numerous reasons). Wanna know what the highest rated network TV shows were last year?

Here are the Top Ten (note: the College Football National Championship was #12):

1

Super Bowl LI: New England Patriots vs. Atlanta Falcons Fox

37.30

2/5/2017

2

AFC Championship: New England Patriots vs. Pittsburgh Steelers CBS


15.45

1/22/2017

3

NFL Divisional Playoff: Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Kansas City Chiefs NBC 12.01
1/15/2017

4

The Oscars ABC

9.48

2/26/2017

5

NFL Divisional Playoff: New England Patriots vs. Houston Texans CBS

9.41

1/14/2017

6

NFL Sunday Night Football: Dallas Cowboys vs. New York GiantsNBC


9.14

9/10/2017

7

NBA Finals Game 5: Golden State Warriors vs.Cleveland Cavaliers ABC

9.12

6/12/2017

8

NFL Playoff: Seattle Seahawks vs. Detroit LionsNBC

8.38

1/7/2017

9

Grammy Awards CBS

8.35

2/12/2017

10

World Series Game 7: Houston Astros vs. Los Angeles Dodgers Fox

8.19

11/1/2017
 
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Woodpecker said:
Yeah, it's hard to believe that more 3 million people would want to watch a meaningless game between the Colts and Ravens on a Monday night in August. Oh wait ... no, it isn't.
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the size of the viewership isn't the issue....its the downward trajectory from the same meaningless game played in August last year is. Now, last year's game was the Browns (-) and the Giants (+).
 
NC2017 said:
http://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2018/08/nfl-preseason-ratings-mnf-espn/

Monday’s Ravens-Colts NFL preseason game earned a 1.7 rating and 2.66 million viewers on ESPN, down 26% in both measures from last year (Giants-Browns: 2.3, 3.57M). There was no comparable game in 2016.

Excluding games on NFL Network, the 1.7 rating is the fourth-lowest for any preseason game since 2004. ESPN has aired three of the four lowest rated games over that span, including Jets-Washington on Thursday and Buccaneers-Jaguars last year (1.6 for both).

MNF ranked just sixth for the night in adults 18-49 (0.8) behind ABC’s The Bachelor (1.3), USA’s WWE Raw (1.1), NBC’s American Ninja Warrior (1.0), MTV’s Video Music Awards (1.0) and VHI’s Love and Hip Hop Hollywood (1.0)
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I'm a football fan and its really hard for me to get excited about Preseason games.
If the team I like (The Steelers) are on I'll give it a look but for the most part I don't actually sit down to watch a preseason game. I also do a lot of surfing while they are on.
That being said...The crew of Tesatore and Jason Witten is horrible. Man I like Witten as a player and person but he's got a lot of growing to do as an announcer.
But maybe more important and the NFL (Looking at you Godell) better take a very long look at these preseason games because they are flag fests and if you (again looking at you NFL and Godell) think that the catch rule was contraversial this new "tackling" rule is straight out of the "what the hell were you thinking" play book.
In a word...Ridiculous:rolleyes:
 
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The bigger issue for NFL and even College football is declining interest in the game as evidenced by fewer participants among the youngest generations. Maybe that will start to turn around in the future but maybe not.
 
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SLion said:
From conversations I have had, it is significantly higher. I would guess probably in hundreds of thousands for those that actively watch football.
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Agree...its hard to know and track. regardless, the number is only relative to itself: is the number trending up or down relative to last year? I doubt the number of streamers is significantly higher or lower than last season.

It is fair to say that viewership is now very fractured. There are so many outlets and choices. My 14 year old daughter watches YouTube instead of TV. My 20-something sons would rather game. But it is pretty clear the NFL is hurting. Watch the games and see the empty seats in just about any game. Clearly trending down.
 
TN Lion said:
The bigger issue for NFL and even College football is declining interest in the game as evidenced by fewer participants among the youngest generations. Maybe that will start to turn around in the future but maybe not.
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agree- I think people are underestimating just how devastating the impact is going to be
 
Nitt1300 said:
agree- I think people are underestimating just how devastating the impact is going to be
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I live in the Pittsburgh area, and I would not be surprised if there are more kids playing organized youth ice hockey than midget football now. My nephew plays for one of the Bantam Arctic Foxes teams that plays at the RMU facility, and there are 26 teams in that organization plus several girls' teams. There are probably five or six youth hockey organizations in Western PA that have about as many, if slightly, less teams. Each team usually is made up of 15 to 17 kids. There's no doubt that hockey in Western PA has drawn many kids who otherwise would have played football. IMO, football is slowly dying in this area of the state.
 
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I quit watching the NFL last year (and no it wasn't just because of the kneeling during the anthem though it did help) and my life has improved greatly. Between all of the penalties (most of them being stupid) the biggest reason I gave up on it is because of the endless commercial breaks. My Sundays are much more enjoyable now that I don't have to schedule the Steelers into my day. I know my wife likes me much better now that I'm not going to a bar at 10AM PST to watch the Steelers.
 
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Grass said:
I quit watching the NFL last year (and no it wasn't just because of the kneeling during the anthem though it did help) and my life has improved greatly. Between all of the penalties (most of them being stupid) the biggest reason I gave up on it is because of the endless commercial breaks. My Sundays are much more enjoyable now that I don't have to schedule the Steelers into my day. I know my wife likes me much better now that I'm not going to a bar at 10AM PST to watch the Steelers.
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It also doesn't help when the recent editions of the Steelers have been very unlikeable, and I say that as a Steelers season ticket holder.

I'm 51 and grew up watching the 70s Steelers. Because my family has had season tickets since the early 70s, I got to attend many of the Dynasty's games at 3 Rivers. I honestly can tell you that I would recognize more of the 70s Steelers now if they walked past me than the current team, because I just don't care as much anymore. It's unbelievable to me that you have prima donnas like Bell, who never has won anything, who just do and act as they please. It's just a different time which probably has passed by me.
 
bcspsu said:
It also doesn't help when the recent editions of the Steelers have been very unlikeable, and I say that as a Steelers season ticket holder.

I'm 51 and grew up watching the 70s Steelers. Because my family has had season tickets since the early 70s, I got to attend many of the Dynasty's games at 3 Rivers. I honestly can tell you that I would recognize more of the 70s Steelers now if they walked past me than the current team, because I just don't care as much anymore. It's unbelievable to me that you have prima donnas like Bell, who never has won anything, who just do and act as they please. It's just a different time which probably has passed by me.
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For people in Cleveland, they got the full dose of the NFL. The team sold out in a lousy stadium largely to families like yours. I talked to people who were on their third generation of season ticket ownership. Many had their tickets put into trusts so they wouldn't lose their pecking order. The owner was cash strapped so the NFL helped orchestrate the move to Baltimore. Then, after national outrage, they agreed to put an expansion team in CLE...but for spite, they screwed CLE over. There are some good books on how crappy the NFL owners made the ramp up to the new team. In the first draft, the team had zero scouts. Of course, there has been a lot of mismanagement since then, but that was the foundation to the new browns.

There is simply no loyalty to the fans. Teams and players only care about the revenue extraction. OK, no problem there. But then they complain when fans are no longer loyal to the teams.

I changed about ten years ago. I look at sports as simple entertainment. It is compared to Netflix, Hulu, CBS and going out to a movie. I no longer am invested in a pro team. The Browns and Steelers are nothing more than "House of Cards" or "Modern Family" or "Crazy Rich Asians". My last invested sports activity is PSU.
 
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TN Lion said:
The bigger issue for NFL and even College football is declining interest in the game as evidenced by fewer participants among the youngest generations. Maybe that will start to turn around in the future but maybe not.
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Exactly.
 
NC2017 said:
Exactly.
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same with baseball.

I recall, as a kid, grabbing sports equipment and heading to school or out of the house. i recall taking a new baseball bat to school so I could play softball with it at recess. You rarely see a pickup game of baseball or football (at least in my area). Basketball is different, I see kids playing all the time.

Microsoft, Google and Apple are giving technology away to kids to "seed" their loyalty as they grow into adults. I know the NFL has been trying to sponsor midget (or is it little people) leagues but that has been iffy. Locally, they are sending players out to get kids to show up.
 
Obliviax said:
same with baseball.

I recall, as a kid, grabbing sports equipment and heading to school or out of the house. i recall taking a new baseball bat to school so I could play softball with it at recess. You rarely see a pickup game of baseball or football (at least in my area). Basketball is different, I see kids playing all the time.

Microsoft, Google and Apple are giving technology away to kids to "seed" their loyalty as they grow into adults. I know the NFL has been trying to sponsor midget (or is it little people) leagues but that has been iffy. Locally, they are sending players out to get kids to show up.
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Yea try taking a new baseball bat to School now and see what happens.
Its a new world...not sure how I feel about that.:eek:o_O:confused::mad::(
 
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For me, I cannot point to one thing in particular. To me, the NFL has become unwatchable. And, with the new tackling rule, it will even become more so. I have pointed out, over the last couple of years, that if a good hit is made, you have to program yourself for a 7-second delay before cheering. You don't know if a flag will be thrown.

Though I don't like the anthem kneeling, that isn't what has driven me from watching the game. The posturing around it, however, is a turn off. I'm like many on this site. I'd like to just watch the game to escape the social and political environment--no matter where you stand (or kneel) on the subject.
 
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My desire to watch or attend NFL games has decreased due to:
1. Kneeling players
2. Greed of both players and owners which makes my costs higher and unaffordable to bring my family to a game.
3. Criminality of players: too many arrests from beating up women, doing drugs, DUIs, etc... and then they have the nerve to preach to me about social injustice.
4. Commercials: games take too long and too much of an investment for my free time.
5. Trying to lead a more healthy lifestyle and cannot afford to invest the time.

If it wasn’t for playing fantasy football and finally enjoying being an Eagles fan, I’m not sure how much football I would watch.
 
nitlion93 said:
My desire to watch or attend NFL games has decreased due to:
1. Kneeling players
2. Greed of both players and owners which makes my costs higher and unaffordable to bring my family to a game.
3. Criminality of players: too many arrests from beating up women, doing drugs, DUIs, etc... and then they have the nerve to preach to me about social injustice.
4. Commercials: games take too long and too much of an investment for my free time.
5. Trying to lead a more healthy lifestyle and cannot afford to invest the time.

If it wasn’t for playing fantasy football and finally enjoying being an Eagles fan, I’m not sure how much football I would watch.
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Re. #2, it amazes me so many people go to the games in person. I like watching sometimes but there's no way I'd pay that much money to watch it in person, especially since you can see it so much better on TV at home (in a warm home, with no line for the bathroom, etc).

Re. #4, if I had to watch a football game and only watch it I wouldn't watch many. But there's lots of down time so you can do other stuff. I usually read while watching a game. You can get a lot of reading in in a three hour football game.
 
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