Trump Controversy Boosts NFL Ratings

Maybe they just don't understand how boycotts are supposed to work. After Donald Trump suggested that football fans should stop watching NFL broadcasts in order to force the league to clamp down on protests by players, this week's broadcast of Monday Night Football drew the biggest ratings of the season so far, by a wide margin. Trump claims that viewers are just tuning in to scope out the controversy, but it's still a big win for the NFL, which has been seeing declining ratings for two seasons running. At any rate, it's no way to run an effective boycott. Read on to find out the real ratings numbers.

Via NBCSports.

Last night’s Cowboys-Cardinals game was easily the most-watched Monday night game of the season so far, and through four games Monday Night Football ratings are up over last season.

Cowboys-Cardinals got a 9.3 overnight rating for ESPN, easily the highest-rated Monday night game of the year. That came despite some talk that the controversy surrounding players kneeling during the national anthem would depress NFL ratings.

The 9.3 overnight rating is way up from last year’s Week Three Monday night game, although last year’s game was played at the same time as a presidential debate, so the Week Three 2017 vs. Week Three 2016 comparison is flawed.

A better measurement is that the four Monday Night Football games so far this season have averaged a 7.8 overnight rating, compared to a 6.5 overnight rating for the first four Monday Night Football games last season.

Check out the whole story at NBCSports.

Do you think the backlash against player protests is going to have a lasting effect on NFL ratings or game attendance? Sound off in the comment section below.