NFL Ratings Remain Steady After Controversy
by EG
Despite Donald Trump's urging fans to stop watching NFL games until some players stop kneeling during the national anthem, and despite some fans' claims that they're definitely going to stop watching, it seems that not many fans are actually tuning out. Last week's edition of Monday Night Football had the highest ratings of the season so far, and most other games, including this week's Sunday Night Football game, have been turning in ratings that are pretty much on par with viewership from before the president got involved.
As the National Football League continues to face scrutiny for its ratings, and many of its players' choice to quietly protest during the National Anthem, Sunday's primetime game was essentially unmoved.
Per metered market ratings, the Seattle Seahawks' 46-18 victory over the Indianapolis Colts averaged a 11.0 rating among households. That's dead even with the comparable week four outing from a year ago. Compared to the previous week, however, the preliminary score for the game was down a modest 5 percent.
Seattle's home field win was ultimately a blow out, though it did have the benefit of a comparatively more competitive first half. And, perhaps most interesting when compared to last year's week four Sunday Night Football, its share of the TV-viewing audience grew (albeit a modest 1 percent) despite its unchanged rating.
Week three proved to be an overall win for the NFL, year over year, but week four started slow with Thursday Night Football — down from CBS' opening week last season.
Get the rest of the story at The Hollywood Reporter.
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