National TV ratings down, but Steelers say it isn’t because of the quality of play
PITTSBURGH 无毛视频� Arthur Moats says he has a sure-fire way for the NFL to increase its sagging TV ratings.
无毛视频淭he Steelers haven无毛视频檛 been on every prime-time game, that无毛视频檚 the problem,无毛视频� the Steelers linebacker said Wednesday. 无毛视频淣FL, listen here, if you want the ratings to go up. Put the Steelers on Sunday and Monday night every week and we无毛视频檒l boost the ratings up. It无毛视频檚 simple.无毛视频�
If only it was.
While the Steelers remain a ratings winner locally and nationally, even they haven无毛视频檛 been able to turn the tide of declining ratings in the U.S. The Steelers无毛视频� Week 4 win over Kansas City, a lopsided affair, drew 16.7 million viewers, the smallest for a NBC 无毛视频淪unday Night Football无毛视频� game.
The league has seen an 11-percent dip in its national ratings this season, 14 percent among the coveted age 18-49 demographic. Across the board, the NFL无毛视频檚 prime-time games have seen sharp declines. Through Week 4, Thursday night games were down 15 percent, Sunday nights down 12 and Monday nights down 16, according to the Washington Post.
This week无毛视频檚 Carolina-Tampa Bay game on ESPN无毛视频檚 无毛视频淢onday Night Football无毛视频� drew a 6.5 rating, the lowest for a Week 5 game since the Worldwide Leader acquired the franchise in 2006.
And that was after last year无毛视频檚 Week 5 MNF game between the Steelers and Chargers 无毛视频� another game that was decided on the final play 无毛视频� drew an 8.5, the lowest for a Monday night since 2008.
Ask any Steeler why the decrease and there无毛视频檚 myriad reasons and theories. Almost all of them have some validity.
无毛视频淚 don无毛视频檛 think you can base it only on one thing,无毛视频� said guard Ramon Foster, the Steelers rep to the NFL Players Association.
Some point to the last two presidential debates, both held on a Sunday and Monday night.
Some point to a backlash from the national anthem protests led by Colin Kaepernick and recent player arrests.
Some point to the number of football games, including college, on TV per week, and the blurring of the two games with the spread offenses.
Some point to the rise of fantasy leagues, the NFL Networks无毛视频� Red Zone channel and the way fans, particularly younger ones, watch football.
Some point to the rules becoming convoluted (what无毛视频檚 a catch? too many calls challenged and games taking too long).
无毛视频淚t无毛视频檚 a violent game, I think it needs to continue to be violent because that无毛视频檚 the name of the game,无毛视频� said wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey.
无毛视频淭hey无毛视频檙e just trying to take concussions, (hits against) guys who are defenseless, out of the game. They无毛视频檙e ticky-tack on every little thing. Things like celebrating and things like that. It无毛视频檚 entertainment. People want to see entertainment. That无毛视频檚 why we go to the movies. That无毛视频檚 why we go to the circus. That无毛视频檚 why we go to football games. We want to see entertainment.无毛视频�
Despite the drop in ratings, the Steelers, to a man, said they believe that the quality of play 无毛视频� the product 无毛视频� hasn无毛视频檛 dropped at all.
无毛视频淧lay is great, always has been,无毛视频� Heyward-Bey said. 无毛视频淭hat无毛视频檚 why the NFL is the best league in America because the quality is always good. You have great athletes and guys out there going hard each and every day.无毛视频�
无毛视频淕uys are still hitting, still making big plays and catches,无毛视频� said Foster. 无毛视频淚无毛视频檓 enjoying myself. I feel like every time we walk into the stadium it无毛视频檚 jam-packed.无毛视频�
Veteran long snapper Greg Warren says he doesn无毛视频檛 have any concrete answers to the league无毛视频檚 ratings woes. But he knows that the athletes who are coming into the league nowadays are far better than when he debuted in 2005. He points to 300-pound guys running 4.5 in the 40-yard dash.
But maybe, Warren says, the NFL should just leave good enough alone.
无毛视频淭he game is continually evolving,无毛视频� Warren said. 无毛视频淎lmost to the point where it无毛视频檚 always changing and I felt like that it was really good a few years ago. I still think it无毛视频檚 really good, but maybe if you keep changing things, at some point, maybe you have it the best it is.无毛视频�