Attracts a mass audience with their entertainment/celeb choices etc.
I have felt a lot this year “core fans” losing wnthusiasm for this whole thing, including myself tbh. It just feels like the whole event is getting a bit out of control and less appealing to footballfans. I felt the actual game was incredible though and awesome to see hard hitting again for first tine natve all year.
The media reports this it feels like every year and my initial reaction is of course it's the highest rated ... of all time. There are simply more viewers in 2024 than 2004, 1994, 1984, etc.
It's creating more separation with the other leagues. Christmas day used to be NBA real estate, the NFL took it from them. It's just another example of the NFL strategically pushing away the competition.
The NFL used to not play on Sunday night due to the World Series, imagine that? Now they put a huge marquee SNF game against the World Series and triple the rating.
Attracts a mass audience with their entertainment/celeb choices etc.
I have felt a lot this year “core fans” losing wnthusiasm for this whole thing, including myself tbh. It just feels like the whole event is getting a bit out of control and less appealing to football fans. I felt the actual game was incredible though and awesome to see hard hitting again for first tine natve all year.
As a fan of a team not involved its brutal. This was a strong finish of a highly competitive game but really didn't have the feel of it. Championship and Divisional rounds were so much more enjoyable.
It's creating more separation with the other leagues. Christmas day used to be NBA real estate, the NFL took it from them. It's just another example of the NFL strategically pushing away the competition.
The NFL used to not play on Sunday night due to the World Series, imagine that? Now they put a huge marquee SNF game against the World Series and triple the rating.
Yup, the NFL is quite literally becoming the only live content anyone gives a shit about.
This will most certainly impact the broadcast and cost model for fans.
The media reports this it feels like every year and my initial reaction is of course it's the highest rated ... of all time. There are simply more viewers in 2024 than 2004, 1994, 1984, etc.
As a fan, do you really care? If so, why?
It may “feel” this way but this is not true. There was actually a 4 year decline in viewership. So it great news for the NFL.
It just feels like the whole event is getting a bit out of control and less appealing to football fans.
Agree 100%
The whole "show" has gotten out of control. If feels like the game is now the halftime performance vs the focus.
Regarding the numbers, remember to also dive into what countries the views are coming from and where the increases are. I know the NFL has marketed to other countries. I would be more interested in what the US only views look like over time.
the NFL to pull the Peacock bullshit, they know people are going to watch so they can only show games on obscure broadcast avenues that require fans to pay more so they can make more. Thursday night football and games in Germany or the UK at 9:30 am on a Sunday is the NFL being arrogant, peacock or amazon prime broadcasts are obnoxious.
As fans, or maybe some will say old get off my lawn fans, this type of result is not good for the fans. it will only encourage more of this behavior and not grow the game in good ways but instead pull it in more directions that are irrelevant to the core fans.
I hope the NFL has an Icarus event, but it would need to be disastrous to be analogous and I don't think it's possible at this point.
I think the definition of core fan is probably changing.
This probably hits closer to the truth than many realize. It explains much, both from their actions and responses.
But this encompasses a lot of ground... teams making the in-person, game-day experience out of the financial range of the middle class, the internationalization of the game, the shift away from the football junkie to those looking for a selfie to post on the social media account, the merging of the game with the celebrities, the constant tweaking of the rules to promote offense, etc.
For better or worse, the entire experience will soon be completely different. Look at the Draft as just one example.
I think the definition of core fan is probably changing.
... the shift away from the football junkie to those looking for a selfie to post on the social media account, the merging of the game with the celebrities, the constant tweaking of the rules to promote offense, etc.
NFL Network is a great example of this. I had such high hopes. It started out great and then quickly became an MTV type network that dabbles in football.
I usually don't see the point in griping about this stuff
but I gotta say, seeing "Taylor's Version" slapped on everything really does bug the shit out of me. Super Bowl (Taylor's Version!), for example. Kinda wanna take all these folks and just launch them into the sun. I watched some of the second half Sunday, as others have said my interest has gone from breathing football from sun up to sun down from watching Giants games, half disinterested. Hey tho, fantasy football is so much fun.
but they had the two best teams playing(sorry Ravens), the Taylor Swift phenomenon and a pretty good game on top.
We can piss and moan about how the NFL conducts business, but they seem to know what they are doing.
Yes and no. They became vocal about subjects they shouldn't have touched and backed off (at least publicly). They've decided to "go Hollywood" (for lack of a better phrase) and it has helped.
But many of the football-related changes and commercialization have made the viewing experience noticeably worse for anyone over 40-50 years old. This gets into the actual quality of play as well as the way the game is presented.
They are seeking a new, bigger audience that is less committed to the product.... the casual fan over the diehard one. It is what it is.
What the numbers show is the NFL is attracting new viewers without alienating their legacy viewers. I bet the opinion of many BBIers is shared by more hardcore fans of other teams -- that many of the developments under Goodell have been annoying. But that hasn't changed their actions.
Slight tangent, but the NFL has an absolute dynamite product for junkies. NFL+ Premium is a total goldmine.
What the numbers show is the NFL is attracting new viewers without alienating their legacy viewers. I bet the opinion of many BBIers is shared by more hardcore fans of other teams -- that many of the developments under Goodell have been annoying. But that hasn't changed their actions.
Slight tangent, but the NFL has an absolute dynamite product for junkies. NFL+ Premium is a total goldmine.
Based on what I've seen on BBI and on social media, diehard fans are watching a lot less pro football than they did 10 years ago. I do. I watch the Giants and maybe one other game (maybe) each weekend. I see people talking about it all of the time here. In addition, the non-Giants gameday threads are a lot less commented on than in the past.
10 years ago, a Monday night thread would be filled with posters and commentary. Not so much anymore.
Fans have gotten a lot dumber about the game. Madden and Summerall used to praise how smart Giants fans were about football. Have you read comments from Giants fans on Twitter? It's like they've been eating paint chips.
What the numbers show is the NFL is attracting new viewers without alienating their legacy viewers. I bet the opinion of many BBIers is shared by more hardcore fans of other teams -- that many of the developments under Goodell have been annoying. But that hasn't changed their actions.
Slight tangent, but the NFL has an absolute dynamite product for junkies. NFL+ Premium is a total goldmine.
Based on what I've seen on BBI and on social media, diehard fans are watching a lot less pro football than they did 10 years ago. I do. I watch the Giants and maybe one other game (maybe) each weekend. I see people talking about it all of the time here. In addition, the non-Giants gameday threads are a lot less commented on than in the past.
10 years ago, a Monday night thread would be filled with posters and commentary. Not so much anymore.
I wonder if some of that has to do with where Giants fans gravitate for online discussion today vs. 10 years ago.
With all due respect to BBI, which is my go-to, a lot of fans spend their time and keystrokes discussing the game in short bursts on Twitter and Instagram, and not long form discussion boards.
I do agree there is probably centralization of fans to fewer games outside of their core team. But the NFL is doing magic then attracting new core viewers, because their rating are fantastic.
My college aged daughter emailed me after the SB to ask if I won my big SB square pool and told me she was a Kelce anytime TD away from hitting her 9-leg parlay.
WTF? She could not have been any less interested in football growing up, but now she has a draft kings account and bets $2 parlays to win whatever thousands.
and it's becoming rampant and will only expand. I do think it impacts viewership in ways that people may not have totally expected. Possibly in a big way.
I can tell you 2nd hand the NFL doesn't underestimate it at all. It's their number one strategic acquisition channel. They couple fantasy + gambling in the same bucket.
They believe fans will come for the gambling and stay for the football.
but they had the two best teams playing(sorry Ravens), the Taylor Swift phenomenon and a pretty good game on top.
We can piss and moan about how the NFL conducts business, but they seem to know what they are doing.
Yes and no. They became vocal about subjects they shouldn't have touched and backed off (at least publicly). They've decided to "go Hollywood" (for lack of a better phrase) and it has helped.
But many of the football-related changes and commercialization have made the viewing experience noticeably worse for anyone over 40-50 years old. This gets into the actual quality of play as well as the way the game is presented.
They are seeking a new, bigger audience that is less committed to the product.... the casual fan over the diehard one. It is what it is.
I didn't say it was better from a NFL fan perspective. I meant from the money making POV.
Yes, we old time NFL fans dislike the restrictions in place, many in the name of player safety. I do not like the streaming aspect, but it makes them money. Not a fan of TNF, but still tune in. Not sure about games in Europe.
But this encompasses a lot of ground... teams making the in-person, game-day experience out of the financial range of the middle class, the internationalization of the game, the shift away from the football junkie to those looking for a selfie to post on the social media account, the merging of the game with the celebrities, the constant tweaking of the rules to promote offense, etc.
For better or worse, the entire experience will soon be completely different. Look at the Draft as just one example.
Exactly true, at least for me. The NFL I grew up with was all about the game, plain and simple. I watch a lot of old games from the '70s and '80s on YouTube because I find them to be superior football broadcasts, in most ways, to what we see today. I don't care about celebrity culture, or fantasy football, and I don't gamble. None of that interests me in the slightest, but it's all what the NFL focuses on today. I find it repellent.
Yes, I still watch the Giants, and I still (mostly) watch the playoffs. But my viewing of other teams continues to dwindle.
Based on what I've seen on BBI and on social media, diehard fans are watching a lot less pro football than they did 10 years ago. I do. I watch the Giants and maybe one other game (maybe) each weekend. I see people talking about it all of the time here. In addition, the non-Giants gameday threads are a lot less commented on than in the past.
10 years ago, a Monday night thread would be filled with posters and commentary. Not so much anymore.
How much of that is because they've gotten 10 years older?
It's easy to compare your own behavior now to your behavior 10 years ago and observe that you're watching less football now, or watching it with less fervor or devotion than you did 10 years ago. And you can simultaneously observe the environmental factors that may have contributed to that, and assign them the full causality. I think many can relate; I can.
I'd offer as a counter that my brothers, who are 10 and 13 years older than me, also experienced their enthusiasm waning between age 35 and 50. My father, who was 35 years older than me, also experienced his enthusiasm waning between age 35 and 50. Different eras for each, but the same age range for each.
In other words, there may have been factors that nudged you away from the same level of passion that you had 10 years ago, but it also may be (in some part) the fact that it's inevitable that all people will eventually age out of the target demographic for the NFL's commercial productions, and it will feel like the product is changing for the worse. And while that may be objectively true for you (and your perception), neither party is actually static.
Most mainstream products are targeted toward people who are younger than your typical BBI poster. When we were in that targeted age range, the product felt like it fit our lifestyles more appropriately because it was built that way. Now that we're getting older, it's not actually intended for us. But that's been the case for a long time. We just weren't out of the target demo for most of that time.
I have a bit of an oddball personality, and have always rejected outside influences impacting things I like. In my 20s I watched the Giants at bars because I couldn't afford Sunday Ticket and I lived in San Francisco, and got used to not hearing the commentary.
So now I watch the games at home with the sound basically off because I don't need someone who knows less about football than me talking over the game.
I also don't watch the pre/post game coverage. I didn't even know the NFL was doing so much co-marketing with the gambling and gaming industry until I had some professional interests in it.
So for me the presentation of the game is very much the same it was 20 years ago. I totally get I'm not the average viewer though.
football is still great and the game itself was pretty good
what I have aged out of is the pre and post game stuff. I think it's all terrible. Remember how good "This week in football" used to be back in the day. There is no longer a good weekly recap of the weekends games. You barely see 30 second snippets.
And the Red Zone, if your team is not playing, still gets it right. That is a well produced football lovers dream of a broadcast. Charge $10 more per season and have those guys produce a highlight show and I would be all in.
I am sure we can all agree that fantasy football has had a huge impact on viewership. I wish we could measure it. I find myself watching so many other games because there are fantasy implications for me.
Wondering what the US numbers would look like without fantasy football.
Should payTaylor Swift enormous sums of money to hold a free concert given the boost she delivered to their valuations through increased ratings, merch sales, new fans etc
GD, great post. Related, and maybe actually fruit of the same tree, the phenomenon that when you loved something most, is when it was the best. Cuts across music, film, society at large.
I have a bit of an oddball personality, and have always rejected outside influences impacting things I like. In my 20s I watched the Giants at bars because I couldn't afford Sunday Ticket and I lived in San Francisco, and got used to not hearing the commentary.
So now I watch the games at home with the sound basically off because I don't need someone who knows less about football than me talking over the game.
I also don't watch the pre/post game coverage. I didn't even know the NFL was doing so much co-marketing with the gambling and gaming industry until I had some professional interests in it.
So for me the presentation of the game is very much the same it was 20 years ago. I totally get I'm not the average viewer though.
Always wished they would simulcast a gameday stadium experience. Nothing but crowd/field noise and the PA announcer. I've never really enjoyed the talking heads and sideline reports. If we can get a Nickelodeon broadcast can't we have this too (and i enjoy the Nick broadcast for a little bit - it really got my 8 year old watching much more intently)
Should payTaylor Swift enormous sums of money to hold a free concert given the boost she delivered to their valuations through increased ratings, merch sales, new fans etc
On the flip side, this could go bad. What happens if Kelce is an a-hole. What if he cheats on her, is mean to her and it all comes out? It would be a PR nightmare for the entire league.
My college aged daughter emailed me after the SB to ask if I won my big SB square pool and told me she was a Kelce anytime TD away from hitting her 9-leg parlay.
WTF? She could not have been any less interested in football growing up, but now she has a draft kings account and bets $2 parlays to win whatever thousands.
and it's becoming rampant and will only expand. I do think it impacts viewership in ways that people may not have totally expected. Possibly in a big way.
The decision by the NFL and the networks to shamelessly promote this vice all simply because of greed is going to have a harmful impact on the socio-economic status of millions for generations.
It's really quite appalling, especially given the popularity of the sport with young people.
I am no saint, but I worry about how much the NFL-& other leagues too-are leaning into gambling. I see a lot of my younger coworkers waging heavily on games. Every podcast I listen to seemingly have gambling ads.
Should payTaylor Swift enormous sums of money to hold a free concert given the boost she delivered to their valuations through increased ratings, merch sales, new fans etc
I think the whole thing is a PR stunt and they will break up this Summer. A well executed PR stunt
But the game isn't as good. From a view perspective, the commercial breaks are longer and there are more of them. They are legislating away special teams and defense. Fundamentals are at an all-time low. Non-contact injuries are up. When the winning TD is scored in the championship game, I have to listen to Romo babble while getting shots of celebrities in the stands.
Put on Super Bowl XXI, XXV. Hell, put on Super Bowl XLII. Tell me there isn't a difference.
I turned off the pre-game shows decades ago. That wasn't because I was getting older. The Draft has gotten ridiculous.
But the game isn't as good. From a view perspective, the commercial breaks are longer and there are more of them. They are legislating away special teams and defense. Fundamentals are at an all-time low. Non-contact injuries are up. When the winning TD is scored in the championship game, I have to listen to Romo babble while getting shots of celebrities in the stands.
Put on Super Bowl XXI, XXV. Hell, put on Super Bowl XLII. Tell me there isn't a difference.
I turned off the pre-game shows decades ago. That wasn't because I was getting older. The Draft has gotten ridiculous.
This is who the NFL is catering to now.... Narcissists and #GROCERIES - ( New Window )
I don't disagree with any of that. I just think that's more reflective of the world we live in than it is a reflection of the NFL's evolution or their unquenched thirst for incremental commercialization.
For example, there isn't any appointment TV anymore besides live sports, so the demand for those ad units far outpaces the supply (so logic dictates that the supply should increase). We now see more commercials during NFL games and it feels like a change for the worse. But most people are streaming more content now, and are probably viewing fewer commercials in general (across all TV shows they consume), but much more of them are during NFL content.
That's just one scenario where, in a vacuum, the NFL product is getting worse to many of us, and getting saturated with non-football elements. But some of that is a response to its place in the overall media consumption landscape.
- I rarely watch any night games anymore. They go on far too long and don’t even get me started with the abomination of TNF.
- there is way too much football in if you include college. There’s some type of game on every day of the week. Football use to be mostly two days a week: college on Saturday and NFL on Sunday.
- the play is so poor and it takes way too long.
- the amount of coverage of is asinine. If there isn’t a live game I don’t even turn on ESPN or the NFL coverage. Their opinion are atrocious and over the top.
- and as much as it’s a team sport - the game has turned into mostly into individuals promoting themselves.
It’s still a fun game and I’ll watch the giants and some big games. But I don’t watch nearly as much as I did 5-10 years ago.
but i don't mind the way the game has changed over the years. One thing I've learned is that if you aren't evolving, you are probably on the decline.
Yeah there is less contact in today's game than in the past and it seems to be evolving towards flag football; but I don't mind. I'll watch older games from the 80s and appreciate it, but at the same time recognize how much more violent it was and that today's rules are somewhat better for player safety.
I wonder how much of us are jaded by a historically bad stretch of Giants football.
One taste of a good season last year - and I found myself getting right back in there (only missing games when they came into conflict with kids sports)
Where I rarely watch a game in real time anymore. “Important” Giants games are the occasional exception —but there have been precious few of those lately. Grateful for DVR which lets me begin at the kickoff, zip through the commercials, halftime, etc.and turn it off at the final gun. Sometimes, while I’m waiting to let the game get ahead of the recording, I can get up, stretch, take care of something around the house, etc. Yes, I’m out of sync with the rest of the world for an hour or so. Big deal. It makes the football watchable.
For obvious reasons (and for the same reason why advertisers like TV ads), consumers are more aware of the TV commercials they're being fed during a live sports broadcast.
Do you think anyone bothers to count how many pages of ads a magazine has now compared to 20 years ago? Does it bother you to flip through a few extra pages on your way to the next article? Or did you stop reading magazines like everyone else?
Does it bother you that there are more billboards inside the stadium than there were 20 years ago or that the name of the venue itself is now an advertisement? Does it even register with you that there are more ads in that context?
What used to be Gate B in Giant Stadium is now Verizon Gate in MetLife Stadium. Even the Giants practice facility has a naming rights sponsor. Does that bother you?
Does it bother you that what was once the Giants Postgame Report is now the W.B. Mason Postgame (or whatever it's called)?
We live in a capitalist society. I'm not sure why anyone would be surprised that merchants are aggressively competing for your disposable income. Should the NFL refuse to bridge that unmet demand?
I have felt a lot this year “core fans” losing wnthusiasm for this whole thing, including myself tbh. It just feels like the whole event is getting a bit out of control and less appealing to footballfans. I felt the actual game was incredible though and awesome to see hard hitting again for first tine natve all year.
As a fan, do you really care? If so, why?
Many more people this year were interested in watching.
It was a bit of a perfect storm -- KC is a dynasty, Mahomes and Kelce are celebrities, Taylor Swift is the biggest entertainer in the world.
The NFL used to not play on Sunday night due to the World Series, imagine that? Now they put a huge marquee SNF game against the World Series and triple the rating.
I have felt a lot this year “core fans” losing wnthusiasm for this whole thing, including myself tbh. It just feels like the whole event is getting a bit out of control and less appealing to football fans. I felt the actual game was incredible though and awesome to see hard hitting again for first tine natve all year.
The NFL used to not play on Sunday night due to the World Series, imagine that? Now they put a huge marquee SNF game against the World Series and triple the rating.
Yup, the NFL is quite literally becoming the only live content anyone gives a shit about.
This will most certainly impact the broadcast and cost model for fans.
As a fan, do you really care? If so, why?
It may “feel” this way but this is not true. There was actually a 4 year decline in viewership. So it great news for the NFL.
It just feels like the whole event is getting a bit out of control and less appealing to football fans.
Agree 100%
The whole "show" has gotten out of control. If feels like the game is now the halftime performance vs the focus.
Regarding the numbers, remember to also dive into what countries the views are coming from and where the increases are. I know the NFL has marketed to other countries. I would be more interested in what the US only views look like over time.
As fans, or maybe some will say old get off my lawn fans, this type of result is not good for the fans. it will only encourage more of this behavior and not grow the game in good ways but instead pull it in more directions that are irrelevant to the core fans.
I hope the NFL has an Icarus event, but it would need to be disastrous to be analogous and I don't think it's possible at this point.
This probably hits closer to the truth than many realize. It explains much, both from their actions and responses.
But this encompasses a lot of ground... teams making the in-person, game-day experience out of the financial range of the middle class, the internationalization of the game, the shift away from the football junkie to those looking for a selfie to post on the social media account, the merging of the game with the celebrities, the constant tweaking of the rules to promote offense, etc.
For better or worse, the entire experience will soon be completely different. Look at the Draft as just one example.
Quote:
I think the definition of core fan is probably changing.
... the shift away from the football junkie to those looking for a selfie to post on the social media account, the merging of the game with the celebrities, the constant tweaking of the rules to promote offense, etc.
NFL Network is a great example of this. I had such high hopes. It started out great and then quickly became an MTV type network that dabbles in football.
We can piss and moan about how the NFL conducts business, but they seem to know what they are doing.
We can piss and moan about how the NFL conducts business, but they seem to know what they are doing.
Yes and no. They became vocal about subjects they shouldn't have touched and backed off (at least publicly). They've decided to "go Hollywood" (for lack of a better phrase) and it has helped.
But many of the football-related changes and commercialization have made the viewing experience noticeably worse for anyone over 40-50 years old. This gets into the actual quality of play as well as the way the game is presented.
They are seeking a new, bigger audience that is less committed to the product.... the casual fan over the diehard one. It is what it is.
Slight tangent, but the NFL has an absolute dynamite product for junkies. NFL+ Premium is a total goldmine.
Cued up to talk on the future of live sports and the media - ( New Window )
Slight tangent, but the NFL has an absolute dynamite product for junkies. NFL+ Premium is a total goldmine.
Based on what I've seen on BBI and on social media, diehard fans are watching a lot less pro football than they did 10 years ago. I do. I watch the Giants and maybe one other game (maybe) each weekend. I see people talking about it all of the time here. In addition, the non-Giants gameday threads are a lot less commented on than in the past.
10 years ago, a Monday night thread would be filled with posters and commentary. Not so much anymore.
Fans have gotten a lot dumber about the game. Madden and Summerall used to praise how smart Giants fans were about football. Have you read comments from Giants fans on Twitter? It's like they've been eating paint chips.
lead based paint chips
Slight tangent, but the NFL has an absolute dynamite product for junkies. NFL+ Premium is a total goldmine.
Based on what I've seen on BBI and on social media, diehard fans are watching a lot less pro football than they did 10 years ago. I do. I watch the Giants and maybe one other game (maybe) each weekend. I see people talking about it all of the time here. In addition, the non-Giants gameday threads are a lot less commented on than in the past.
10 years ago, a Monday night thread would be filled with posters and commentary. Not so much anymore.
I wonder if some of that has to do with where Giants fans gravitate for online discussion today vs. 10 years ago.
With all due respect to BBI, which is my go-to, a lot of fans spend their time and keystrokes discussing the game in short bursts on Twitter and Instagram, and not long form discussion boards.
I do agree there is probably centralization of fans to fewer games outside of their core team. But the NFL is doing magic then attracting new core viewers, because their rating are fantastic.
My college aged daughter emailed me after the SB to ask if I won my big SB square pool and told me she was a Kelce anytime TD away from hitting her 9-leg parlay.
WTF? She could not have been any less interested in football growing up, but now she has a draft kings account and bets $2 parlays to win whatever thousands.
and it's becoming rampant and will only expand. I do think it impacts viewership in ways that people may not have totally expected. Possibly in a big way.
Kelce gets down on one knee - ( New Window )
I can tell you 2nd hand the NFL doesn't underestimate it at all. It's their number one strategic acquisition channel. They couple fantasy + gambling in the same bucket.
They believe fans will come for the gambling and stay for the football.
Quote:
but they had the two best teams playing(sorry Ravens), the Taylor Swift phenomenon and a pretty good game on top.
We can piss and moan about how the NFL conducts business, but they seem to know what they are doing.
Yes and no. They became vocal about subjects they shouldn't have touched and backed off (at least publicly). They've decided to "go Hollywood" (for lack of a better phrase) and it has helped.
But many of the football-related changes and commercialization have made the viewing experience noticeably worse for anyone over 40-50 years old. This gets into the actual quality of play as well as the way the game is presented.
They are seeking a new, bigger audience that is less committed to the product.... the casual fan over the diehard one. It is what it is.
I didn't say it was better from a NFL fan perspective. I meant from the money making POV.
Yes, we old time NFL fans dislike the restrictions in place, many in the name of player safety. I do not like the streaming aspect, but it makes them money. Not a fan of TNF, but still tune in. Not sure about games in Europe.
I should have qualified or made my point clearer.
For better or worse, the entire experience will soon be completely different. Look at the Draft as just one example.
Exactly true, at least for me. The NFL I grew up with was all about the game, plain and simple. I watch a lot of old games from the '70s and '80s on YouTube because I find them to be superior football broadcasts, in most ways, to what we see today. I don't care about celebrity culture, or fantasy football, and I don't gamble. None of that interests me in the slightest, but it's all what the NFL focuses on today. I find it repellent.
Yes, I still watch the Giants, and I still (mostly) watch the playoffs. But my viewing of other teams continues to dwindle.
10 years ago, a Monday night thread would be filled with posters and commentary. Not so much anymore.
How much of that is because they've gotten 10 years older?
It's easy to compare your own behavior now to your behavior 10 years ago and observe that you're watching less football now, or watching it with less fervor or devotion than you did 10 years ago. And you can simultaneously observe the environmental factors that may have contributed to that, and assign them the full causality. I think many can relate; I can.
I'd offer as a counter that my brothers, who are 10 and 13 years older than me, also experienced their enthusiasm waning between age 35 and 50. My father, who was 35 years older than me, also experienced his enthusiasm waning between age 35 and 50. Different eras for each, but the same age range for each.
In other words, there may have been factors that nudged you away from the same level of passion that you had 10 years ago, but it also may be (in some part) the fact that it's inevitable that all people will eventually age out of the target demographic for the NFL's commercial productions, and it will feel like the product is changing for the worse. And while that may be objectively true for you (and your perception), neither party is actually static.
Most mainstream products are targeted toward people who are younger than your typical BBI poster. When we were in that targeted age range, the product felt like it fit our lifestyles more appropriately because it was built that way. Now that we're getting older, it's not actually intended for us. But that's been the case for a long time. We just weren't out of the target demo for most of that time.
So now I watch the games at home with the sound basically off because I don't need someone who knows less about football than me talking over the game.
I also don't watch the pre/post game coverage. I didn't even know the NFL was doing so much co-marketing with the gambling and gaming industry until I had some professional interests in it.
So for me the presentation of the game is very much the same it was 20 years ago. I totally get I'm not the average viewer though.
And the Red Zone, if your team is not playing, still gets it right. That is a well produced football lovers dream of a broadcast. Charge $10 more per season and have those guys produce a highlight show and I would be all in.
Wondering what the US numbers would look like without fantasy football.
So now I watch the games at home with the sound basically off because I don't need someone who knows less about football than me talking over the game.
I also don't watch the pre/post game coverage. I didn't even know the NFL was doing so much co-marketing with the gambling and gaming industry until I had some professional interests in it.
So for me the presentation of the game is very much the same it was 20 years ago. I totally get I'm not the average viewer though.
Always wished they would simulcast a gameday stadium experience. Nothing but crowd/field noise and the PA announcer. I've never really enjoyed the talking heads and sideline reports. If we can get a Nickelodeon broadcast can't we have this too (and i enjoy the Nick broadcast for a little bit - it really got my 8 year old watching much more intently)
On the flip side, this could go bad. What happens if Kelce is an a-hole. What if he cheats on her, is mean to her and it all comes out? It would be a PR nightmare for the entire league.
My college aged daughter emailed me after the SB to ask if I won my big SB square pool and told me she was a Kelce anytime TD away from hitting her 9-leg parlay.
WTF? She could not have been any less interested in football growing up, but now she has a draft kings account and bets $2 parlays to win whatever thousands.
and it's becoming rampant and will only expand. I do think it impacts viewership in ways that people may not have totally expected. Possibly in a big way.
The decision by the NFL and the networks to shamelessly promote this vice all simply because of greed is going to have a harmful impact on the socio-economic status of millions for generations.
It's really quite appalling, especially given the popularity of the sport with young people.
I think the whole thing is a PR stunt and they will break up this Summer. A well executed PR stunt
But the game isn't as good. From a view perspective, the commercial breaks are longer and there are more of them. They are legislating away special teams and defense. Fundamentals are at an all-time low. Non-contact injuries are up. When the winning TD is scored in the championship game, I have to listen to Romo babble while getting shots of celebrities in the stands.
Put on Super Bowl XXI, XXV. Hell, put on Super Bowl XLII. Tell me there isn't a difference.
I turned off the pre-game shows decades ago. That wasn't because I was getting older. The Draft has gotten ridiculous.
This is who the NFL is catering to now....
Narcissists and #GROCERIES - ( New Window )
My son's reaction?
"I don't like how there is nothing on the screen except for the game."
They've conditioned people to like all the junk on the screen.
But the game isn't as good. From a view perspective, the commercial breaks are longer and there are more of them. They are legislating away special teams and defense. Fundamentals are at an all-time low. Non-contact injuries are up. When the winning TD is scored in the championship game, I have to listen to Romo babble while getting shots of celebrities in the stands.
Put on Super Bowl XXI, XXV. Hell, put on Super Bowl XLII. Tell me there isn't a difference.
I turned off the pre-game shows decades ago. That wasn't because I was getting older. The Draft has gotten ridiculous.
This is who the NFL is catering to now.... Narcissists and #GROCERIES - ( New Window )
I don't disagree with any of that. I just think that's more reflective of the world we live in than it is a reflection of the NFL's evolution or their unquenched thirst for incremental commercialization.
For example, there isn't any appointment TV anymore besides live sports, so the demand for those ad units far outpaces the supply (so logic dictates that the supply should increase). We now see more commercials during NFL games and it feels like a change for the worse. But most people are streaming more content now, and are probably viewing fewer commercials in general (across all TV shows they consume), but much more of them are during NFL content.
That's just one scenario where, in a vacuum, the NFL product is getting worse to many of us, and getting saturated with non-football elements. But some of that is a response to its place in the overall media consumption landscape.
- I rarely watch any night games anymore. They go on far too long and don’t even get me started with the abomination of TNF.
- there is way too much football in if you include college. There’s some type of game on every day of the week. Football use to be mostly two days a week: college on Saturday and NFL on Sunday.
- the play is so poor and it takes way too long.
- the amount of coverage of is asinine. If there isn’t a live game I don’t even turn on ESPN or the NFL coverage. Their opinion are atrocious and over the top.
- and as much as it’s a team sport - the game has turned into mostly into individuals promoting themselves.
It’s still a fun game and I’ll watch the giants and some big games. But I don’t watch nearly as much as I did 5-10 years ago.
Yeah there is less contact in today's game than in the past and it seems to be evolving towards flag football; but I don't mind. I'll watch older games from the 80s and appreciate it, but at the same time recognize how much more violent it was and that today's rules are somewhat better for player safety.
Commericals are annoying as shit tho.
One taste of a good season last year - and I found myself getting right back in there (only missing games when they came into conflict with kids sports)
For obvious reasons (and for the same reason why advertisers like TV ads), consumers are more aware of the TV commercials they're being fed during a live sports broadcast.
Do you think anyone bothers to count how many pages of ads a magazine has now compared to 20 years ago? Does it bother you to flip through a few extra pages on your way to the next article? Or did you stop reading magazines like everyone else?
Does it bother you that there are more billboards inside the stadium than there were 20 years ago or that the name of the venue itself is now an advertisement? Does it even register with you that there are more ads in that context?
What used to be Gate B in Giant Stadium is now Verizon Gate in MetLife Stadium. Even the Giants practice facility has a naming rights sponsor. Does that bother you?
Does it bother you that what was once the Giants Postgame Report is now the W.B. Mason Postgame (or whatever it's called)?
We live in a capitalist society. I'm not sure why anyone would be surprised that merchants are aggressively competing for your disposable income. Should the NFL refuse to bridge that unmet demand?