The NFL has taken a serious hit to ratings across their lineups this season and just when analysts thought they had hit their bottom, Monday Night Football’s viewership reached a new season low.
Last night’s game saw the Ravens win against the Texans, but it appears fewer viewers tuned in to witness the big plays than ever before this season. Deadline Hollywood reports that Monday night’s game hit a season low, decreasing by 2% over the previous low which occurred on October 16th.
Now, the empty seats at M&T Bank Stadium might have been a warning sign for the first post-Thanksgiving MNF after yet another controversial weekend. Even though no player from either team protested last night, certainly avoiding showing the playing of the entire national anthem revealed how worried the league and networks are that politics has contributed to the near double-digit ratings declines this season. Or maybe it was just that neither team has a big national following, and injuries have depleted their ranks.
Whatever the reason or reasons, Monday’s MNF was down 17% from the close November 20 game that saw the Atlanta Falcons beat the Seattle Seahawks 34-31. Up over the previous MNF, last week’s game went on to deliver a 3.5 rating among adults 18-49 and 10.8 million viewers.
To add more context, last night’s MNF dipped 2% from the previous season low of the October 16 matchup between the winning Tennessee Titans and the Indianapolis Colts. Not sure a lot of that had to do with the Supergirl start of the latest Arrowverse crossover on the CW, if you know what I mean.
President Donald Trump, who has been vocal regarding his opposition to the “kneelers” continuing to protest during the singing of the National Anthem prior to games, renewed his criticism of the NFL on Twitter today.
At least 24 players kneeling this weekend at NFL stadiums that are now having a very hard time filling up. The American public is fed up with the disrespect the NFL is paying to our Country, our Flag and our National Anthem. Weak and out of control!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 28, 2017
Trump calls out the 24 NFL players who continued their kneeling protest this weekend while pointing out the growing number of empty stadium seats and declining viewership. The president also picks up on public sentiment towards the protests by stating that the Americans are “fed up with the disrespect the NFL is paying to our Country, our Flag and our National Anthem.”
President Trump’s also called out the league as being “weak and out of control”, likely a swipe at NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell who thus far has allowed the employees (players) of the NFL dominate the league’s decisions and negatively impact their viewership without consequences. This is a perk that would not be afforded to anyone in working class America, who would be promptly disciplined or fired for driving customers away from their employer’s business.
Trump’s latest criticism comes on the heels of another tweet he sent only days ago, again blasting the NFL for allowing players to continue their protest without penalty, losing control of their league and hemorrhaging viewers.
Can you believe that the disrespect for our Country, our Flag, our Anthem continues without penalty to the players. The Commissioner has lost control of the hemorrhaging league. Players are the boss! https://t.co/udXP5MR8BC
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 24, 2017
As the anthem protests continue without consequence or intervention from the NFL, photos of mostly empty stadiums continue to appear week after week.
#NFL #TBvsATL RT @ej3333: Kickoff at the ATL. @[me] pic.twitter.com/sS8Dq4qDqE
— Empty Seats Galore (@EmptySeatsPics) November 26, 2017
#TENvsIND #NFL RT @NoahStranahan3: @[me] kickoff in Indy pic.twitter.com/s0AhpQYSeR
— Empty Seats Galore (@EmptySeatsPics) November 26, 2017
Oh yea!!!! This is awesome!!! #Jets pic.twitter.com/IKxwPFqkr5
— Ace (@Ace_2984) November 26, 2017
How long will it be until advertisers and sponsors of the NFL start demanding discounts due to the league’s loss in viewership/attendance? While Roger Goodell and owners jumped at the chance to support their player’s, seemingly eager to join in polluting the game with liberal politics, I suspect their tune will change dramatically once their bank accounts start to take a hit due to the loss in revenue because of player’s “exercising their rights”.