NFL odds are on the rise. Here’s why.

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By Frank Pallotta, CNN Business

One month after the start of the 2021 season, the nfl the audience is up about 17% compared to the same period last year. The league averages around 17 million viewers on its various partner networks, according to Nielsen data.

These numbers are not only good enough, but also represent a turnaround from last year. Patrick Crakes, a former Fox Sports executive turned media consultant, is not surprised.

“It defied all trends in the media for a decade,” Crakes told CNN Business. “Why shouldn’t this continue? “

The NFL is the most trusted scoring driver on television. This is why NBC, CBS, ESPN / ABC, Fox and Amazon paid over $ 100 billion to renew their media contracts with the league earlier this year.

But NFL ratings have fluctuated over the past few years, with last year ratings down around 10% compared to 2019, it is therefore remarkable that the number of viewers has rebounded considerably.

Here are a few reasons.

The supporters are back in the stands

The coronavirus disrupted everything, and the NFL was no exception.

The league’s 2020 audience – despite some of the highest ratings on television – suffered from the same issues that plagued all major sports: a lack of fans in attendance. That’s not the case this year, and it’s helping to increase viewership, according to Jay Rosenstein, former vice president of programming at CBS Sports.

“As TV executives, are we always talking about the best scene? Which place offers the most excitement and excitement and passion and all of that, ”said Rosenstein. “And that’s what you get when the stands are full again.”

Rosenstein explained that when it comes to streaming games, “the fans make a big difference.”

“It gives directors a place to go to capture the thrill of the game,” he said. “And obviously the sound. The volume makes people at home understand that this is something amazing.

Lots of teams are good, including the Cowboys

Fans love to watch winning teams, and that has been a boon to the NFL odds so far this year.

Of the 32 teams, 13 have winning records, 12 of them with just one loss, and one, the Arizona Cardinals, remains undefeated. This level of competitive parity gives many viewers a reason to tune in.

Of course, those records will likely change as the season progresses and the games get tougher, but for now there are a lot of good teams to watch out for.

And one of those teams is the Dallas Cowboys. Known as “Team America,” the Cowboys have long been one of the most popular franchises in the NFL and, at 3-1, hold the top spot in the NFC East.

“They play competitive and exciting games,” Rosenstein said. “Whether they win or lose, they obviously have a strong following.”

Branded games lived up to billing

One of the most important things about the power of the NFL ratings from season to season is how exciting the games are. The closer the match, the more likely fans are to watch.

For example, the last three games of Sunday Night Football have been decided by a combined total of five points and have all played out on the wire. The Sunday night game, broadcast on NBC, is one of the league’s flagship games each week.

Those three games also featured some of the NFL’s most popular players, including Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady, who returned to New England last week for the first time since leaving the Patriots.

This game between Brady’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Patriots was the most-watched Sunday night football game since 2012, according to NBC.

Where does the NFL go from here?

There’s a lot of football left this season so the odds could go up and down.

But Rosenstein believes that as long as games remain exciting and the best players in the league – especially quarterbacks – stay healthy, there’s no reason the numbers shouldn’t continue to climb.

“Anything can happen and injuries are always a concern, but I think it’s going to be a great, stable season for the NFL,” he said. “It’s going to show increases where the rest of the TV is going in the opposite direction.”

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