The sports industry was reminded of two significant facts in recent months. Firstly, Taylor Swift’s presence has a significant impact. Secondly, those who previously claimed they would never watch the NFL again due to players kneeling are unequivocally dishonest.
Earlier this week, the NFL and CBS jointly announced that Super Bowl LVIII achieved record-breaking viewership across various platforms, including the CBS Television Network, Paramount+, Nickelodeon, Univision, and CBS Sports and NFL digital properties. The game garnered an average of 123.4 million viewers, surpassing last season’s contest between the Chiefs and Eagles, which held the previous Super Bowl viewership record of 115.1 million.
Despite the controversies surrounding the NFL from 2016 to 2018, when Colin Kaepernick, Eric Reid, and Donald Trump turned it into a captivating real-life soap opera, the league’s popularity has continued to rise steadily.
Former CBS Sports chairman Sean McManus acknowledged the impact of kneeling on ratings in 2017, but expressed confidence in the NFL’s enduring appeal. He stated that while there was a slight decrease in ratings due to viewers’ disinterest in the coverage of players kneeling, the NFL remained the most appealing television property by a significant margin. McManus believed that ratings would recover, emphasizing that the NFL’s popularity and dominance relative to other television programs were unrivaled.
In 2021, NFL games accounted for 75 of the top 100 most-watched broadcasts in the United States. This number increased to 82 in 2022 and 93 last year. According to a report by the Sports Business Journal, NFL viewership reached an eight-year high in 2022, averaging 17.2 million viewers per game, the highest since 2015. Notably, NBC’s Sunday Night Football consistently attracted over 22 million viewers, while CBS and FOX also experienced significant viewership growth. The NFL Network, Prime Video, and the NFL Draft also saw increased viewership.
Given the American obsession with the NFL and college football, it is highly likely that the NFL will secure all seven remaining spots in the top 100 most-watched broadcasts this year, further solidifying its dominance in U.S. television.
On the other hand, the NBA faces a challenge in attracting more viewers, especially considering its trailing position behind the NFL and college football. Rapper Vince Staples jokingly suggested adding elements of professional wrestling to make the NBA more exciting. However, the NBA must find a solution to increase viewership, as it lacks a dedicated month like college basketball’s March Madness.
If the NFL does manage to claim all 100 spots in the most-watched American broadcasts of 2024, it would reflect a sad reality of our society. This would not be due to the players, games, or any external factors, but rather because we prioritized a football game over the crucial Presidential election that will significantly impact our future. The Kansas City Chiefs’ parade on Wednesday served as a reminder of this misplaced priority.
According to the Source deadspin.com