Who even watches the NFL anymore?

NFL ratings have been down… and the issue is more than the mere money lost by the league and the networks that broadcast the league. The NFL has also become a political issue for Donald Trump and his supporters who argue that the NFL is doomed if players don’t begin standing for the anthem.

 

But now ratings are up… one month into the 2018 season. That’s right – ratings are up 2% compared to last year. In fact, there has been an average of 15.6 million viewers each week across network partners. And while 2% sounds like nothing, it is actually a big deal for network TV as more and more viewers are switching to streaming services (those damn cord cutters).

 

How it happened… well, that we can only speculate (and of course, speculate we will). The games have been high scoring with the most points scored through week five in league history. The games have also been close – with 45 games being decided by one score. And lastly, the NFL has, for the most part, stayed out of any controversy this season. Does it get any better?

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