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The rankings of the National Football League TV are up for the first time since 2015, an improvement attributed to NFL and television executives to new stars, to a dwindling controversy between the national anthem and to a distraction much needed political dissensions that shake the country.
Five weeks into the season, the average audience on a televised match is 15.6 million, up 3% from the same period last year, according to Nielsen. The marks remain 16% lower than those of the first five weeks of the 2015 season.
The 15 best shows in September were NFL games, according to Nielsen, which shows that, despite the erosion of audiences in recent seasons, football is still the most popular programming on television.
Public gains were uneven. For Sunday afternoon broadcasts, the number of CBS viewers increased by 7%, while that of Fox decreased by 2%.
In prime time, the strength of NFL programming remained evident. Fox and NBC, which broadcast the Thursday night and Sunday night games respectively, were the only networks to record a slight increase in the number of prime-time viewers in this broadcast season beginning September 24th. Viewers of ESPN's "Monday Night Football" however, she dropped 3%, as a result of several explosive matches and baseball competition after the season.
Troy Vincent, executive vice president of the NFL in charge of football operations, said the odds were reinforced by the quality of the game, a slew of young stars and a shortage of off-road distractions, such as protesting players at the time. the national anthem.
"These were conversations that were polarized around the sport. We are now talking about sport, "said Vincent.
In Week 5, the four-quarter rookies who were selected in the top 10 of last spring's NFL draft started and won their games. Patrick Mahomes, the 23-year-old Kansas City Chiefs quarterback, leads the touchdown pass classification. Jared Goff, also 23, led the Los Angeles Rams to an unbeaten start.
"This is announced as the year of the QB," said Mike Mulvihill, Executive Vice President, Research, for
21st Century Fox
of the
FOX -1.90%
Fox Sports.
Thursday night, the NFL network is an excellent example. Two of the worst teams in the league a year ago – the New York Jets and the Cleveland Browns – combined to produce a thriller. In this game, Browns rookie quarterback Baker Mayfield, who was the first pick in the repechage, took over to lead his team in front of the Jets, led by quarterback Sam Darnold, the No. 3 pick.
This year's games were also very successful and very tight, which gave a boost. Teams score an average of 24 points per game, the largest number in the history of the NFL, while the average margin of victory of about 10 points is lower than any other since 1932. Eight games have already made the subject of extensions, equalizing most at this stage since the introduction of the 1974 overtime.
CBS
Body
CBS -3.23%
CBS, whose average audience rose from 14.9 million a year ago to 15.9 million on Sunday afternoon, aired the broadcast rights of the American Football Conference, which includes the undefeated Chiefs and the revitalized Browns.
CBS Sports President Sean McManus said that new stars and closed matches are not the only ones responsible for increasing numbers.
"I think there is so much inconvenience today and divisions between different groups that the NFL football hut is probably more attractive than it has been for a long time "said Mr. McManus.
An increasing number of viewers over the age of 50 are watching the NFL this season, according to Nielsen. People over 50 are witnessing protests by players during the national anthem – which have become quieter this season – more negatively than the general population, according to a WSJ / NBC News poll in August. Fox and the parent company of the Wall Street Journal, News Corp, share common property.
Last year, a number of media executives attributed the NFL's erosion of ratings to the league's aggressive communication strategy, which resulted in a multitude of new offerings, ranging from an increase in the number of matches from Thursday night to the availability of some games on the Internet.
Verizon Communications
Inc.
mobile phones and
Amazon.com
Inc.
AMZN -6.15%
streaming service.
The increase in the number of TV listeners this year comes as the NFL is available on a growing number of platforms. A spokesman for the NFL said that during the last four weeks of the season, digital consumption has increased by 65% with an average audience of 326,000 viewers per game. The first two games available Thursday night on Amazon, NFL Digital, Fox Digital and Yahoo Sports rose 57%, with an average audience of 800,000 viewers.
"Sunday night football" on
Comcast
Body
CMCSA -3.27%
NBC has an average of 19.6 million viewers in the last five weeks, 19.5 million fewer than last season. That figure also includes the NFL's first game, scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 6, between the Atlanta Falcons and the Philadelphia Eagles, which has been delayed for almost an hour due to lightning. The audience was down 13% from the opening match of Thursday's 2017 season.
"It's a little better than expected," said Mark Lazarus, president of NBC Sports, who thought the audience ratings would be down "at one or two".
Mr. Mulvihill, of Fox, said that in his opinion, Sunday Sunday afternoon ratings, despite a 2% drop, have "a very good chance" to be among the most favored of here November. "Thursday night, football" on Fox is keeping pace with the average for the same period last year.
"Monday Night Football" ranking on
Walt Disney
Co.
DIS -3.45%
ESPN, down 3% this season, remains higher than at the end of last season. Burke Magnus, executive vice president of ESPN, said the channel's program was promising, citing matches featuring the Dallas Cowboys, the New England Patriots, the Green Bay Packers and a possible forward Super Bowl premiere featuring the Rams against the Chiefs. "Based on what we have left, we feel very good," he said.
Write to Joe Flint at [email protected] and Andrew Beaton at [email protected]
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