It is no surprise that the NFL is down ratings significantly this year. The NFL is the pinnacle for american sports on television success ever since its existence. So why is it that ratings are significantly down this year? Is the NFL losing fans? Do people have better things to do on Sunday's now? Is it the NFL's fault? The simple answer to all of these questions is yes. They all play a role in why the ratings are down this year.
1. "No Fun League
The NFL is quickly becoming known as the "No Fun League" and it's true. The commissioner has put some wack rules into action making it very difficult for the players to do anything. The officials have not helped either. Yes, the blatant missed calls are bad, but the minimal stuff they are calling is making the game worse. The NFL needs to let the players have a little more freedom and they really need to take a look at how they officiate games.
2. Scheduling
First of all, let me just say I am not a fan of Thursday Night Football. Thursday Night Football games never seem to be good games and are also conflicting with other sports, especially in October with postseason baseball and hockey. Another problem with the scheduling is just the match-ups in prime time. It is really hard to get stoked about Sunday Night Football when it's the Texans against the Colts. They need to be able to substitute prime time games if the matchup is not as predicted to be.
3. College Football
Sorry to disappoint all the die-hard NFL fans, but College Football is much more exciting and enjoyable to watch. In recent years, College Football ratings have shot way up and are trending way more than the NFL is. Nowadays, most people would rather spend all Saturday watching football than all Sunday. NCAA waits until the week of to schedule prime time match ups making them always enjoyable to watch.
It's not that football is losing fans, but the NFL is failing to please them. The NFL has a lot to correct but they will never become irrelevant.