The National Football League has undoubtedly become the hottest sport within the United States. Thousands of people all throughout the country tune in to their favorite, hometown teams each and every week. And of course, the ultimate game, the Super Bowl, tends to accumulate millions of viewers each and every year. Unfortunately, the NFL has experienced a big change this year and it could negatively impact the sport, which has become America’s favorite pastime. Despite previously being unthinkable, the NFL’s television ratings have dropped significantly over the past few months.
Some people believe that the dip is a direct result of the upcoming Election, but others are quickly to point to the ongoing protest during the national anthem. A recent report has shown that adults of all ages have stopped watching NFL games. Viewership has plummeted by as much as 15% compared to those generated during the previous year. Those within the age range of 18 to 34 have accounted for the biggest drop. In early September, women encouraged others to protest the sport. This came after several of the league’s players were arrested for domestic assault. Now, viewers are switching off their televisions, because they’re sick of seeing players take a knee during the national anthem.
This trend is likely to continue, unless the league can get their players under control and convince them to drop their boycotts. And of course, Tom Brady has made news once again. Brady has stolen the spotlight by laughing at criticism from another player. Colts player Reggie Wayne suggests Brady should be made ineligible for the MVP, because he is a cheater. Based on the traffic of Driven Affiliates is has been projected that Brady could snag that title one again. Will other players follow Reggie and demand that Brady be made ineligible? This would be the first time in history a player would be stripped of the MVP title and it is unlikely to happen now.
The NFL simply cannot afford to anger viewers any more than they already have. The Green Bay Packers is one of the most popular professional football team, based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The team has been very successful in maintaining a high status in the NFC North. However, the team failed to defeat the Indianapolis Colts this weekend. This loss eliminated the Packer’s opportunity to move into the first-place position, which would put them in a tie with the Minnesota Vikings.
The Colts defeated the Packers 31-26 and Aaron Rodgers was not happy. He openly expressed his disappointment, blaming the loss on lack of energy and inspiration. Rodgers later said that the team lacked the enthusiasm to pull off the win and it was unacceptable.
At the end of the day, the NFL is going nowhere. The ratings might dip from time to time, but people will always return. So, are you ready for the upcoming Super Bowl? Only time will tell what will happen in the future and how long it will take for viewers to begin switching on their TVs once again.