Viewership declines for the NFL get most of the attention despite the fact that they fair better than the rest of linear television.
Change in ratings (2016 vs. 2017):
1) Primetime: ↓ 15%
2) NFL: ↓ 5%
The NFL has 2 of the top 3 primetime broadcast shows.
Why is this happening? Total time spent watching video continues to increase, but the number of choices (Netflix, Hulu, etc.) is increasing faster. This is the primary driver of lower ratings.
Not all bad news. This is Us has delivered a 19% increase in viewership which has allowed it to boost ad prices 45%!
