The NFL TV ratings are in decline and experts believe there are two teams responsible for driving down viewership. Both of those teams play at MetLife Stadium in New York.
According to Sports Illustrated, the NFL’s rating issue lies primarily on the Jets and the Giants. The publication reports: “the NFL’s biggest ratings issue is that the Jets and Giants stink and people in New York don’t want to watch those games. It doesn’t help the league when two of the worst teams in the league are in the top television market.”
Both the Jets and the Giants started out the first three weeks with three consecutive losses. Back in Week 2, Sports Business Journal dove into the ratings issues for the NFL squads in New York:
“The Jets’ rating for the New York DMA was shockingly low — one of the team’s lowest on record. Competing against the U.S. Open at nearby Winged Foot, the team’s blowout loss to the 49ers registered a 3.9 local rating on FOX, which is closer to a regular-season Yankees rating than a normal NFL number. During Week 2 last year, the Jets pulled a 10.5 for its Monday night blowout loss to the Browns.
“The 0-2 Giants pulled a 7.4 rating in New York for its loss to the Bears, which was carried on CBS. Last year in Week 2, the Giants had a 10.0 local rating for a loss to the Bills,” the report states.
NFL TV Ratings: ‘Thursday Night Football’ Drops to 4-Year Low in Week 3
In Week 3, the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Miami Dolphins failed to capture a broad audience. On the NFL Network, the broadcast averaged 5.43 million viewers. This marked the lowest viewership since an October 2016 contest, also featuring the Jaguars.
In contrast, the Week 3 ratings dip came in the same week that Monday Night Football racked up major viewership at the Oakland Raiders’ new stadium. The week prior, Thursday Night Football drew in 1 million more viewers for the Browns-Bengals matchup, Sportsnaut.com reports.
The NFL faced its biggest viewership challenge in 2016 when the kneeling controversy began. Learn more about how this year’s NFL ratings compare to 2016 here.
[H/T NJ.com]
