This is getting pretty boring. It was much more fun when people actually thought the NFL was in trouble when it came to their television ratings and viewership. Instead, the NFL train continues to roll as The Big Lead pointed out that the NFL produced 64 of the top-100 most watched TV programs in 2018. It’s expected that the most-watched league in the United States will produce a similar performance next year.
This is great news for the NFL as they will be negotiating their television deals in 2021. It’s great news for the players as they can point to the fact that they play in the most watched league in one of the richest countries in the world when the CBA deal ends in 2020. It’s good for owners. It’s good for advertisers in a world of fractured viewership. Everyone should be smiling.
The truth is the NFL was never in trouble and it was never going away. Even as viewers shift to cutting the cord, people can still watch games on digital antennas or on digital bundles. Live sports content wins consistently.
It’s because it’s timeshift proof. It’s because of second screens. It’s because it’s part of the culture. If live sports are the biggest viewership drivers, and the NFL is king of American sports, it’s all pretty simple. The NFL will be making a ton of money.
