Are Viewers Losing Affection for the NFL?

Theories on NFL Performance DeclinesquotIt39s true that the general media environment amp160fragmentation and news is causing ratings leakage but through our data see details belowamp160we found that there was also diminishing consumer engagement with the NFL brandquot says Reisman CEOFounder of LEAP Media Investmentsamp160 quotSimply put there is a decrease in emotional attachment for the NFL in the market which in turn can directly impact engagement and viewership To be fair year after year we39ve seen that among TV programming tentpole shows and eventsamp160the NFL is one of the most emotionally attached media franchises among 1864yearoldsamp160 While the NFL may have a diminished emotional attachment over the past two years it is still top dog still an exceptionally valuable media property amp160The Super Bowlamp160will inevitably remain the most important media asset for years to comequotSome media executives like David Poltrack CBS Chief Research Officer remain optimistic Speakingamp160at UBS39 5th Annual Global Media and Communications Conferenceamp160he saidamp160quotOne of the most important elements of the fall television schedule is NFL football amp160As the coverage of the NFL by the broadcast networks and cable networks has grown so too have NFL audiencesquotWe believe that the major cause of the lower NFL ratings in the first half of the season was the incremental competition from the coverage of the presidential racequot he continued quotSince Election Day we have already seen NFL ratings improve amp160There have been many theories concerning the anomaly in NFL ratings We39ve analyzed all of these possible causes and do not believe there is any reason to conclude that there will be any seminal change in the strong ratings performance of NFL footballquotWhile executives at agencies and networks look beyond ratings and remain positive about the sustainable value of the NFL franchise there is fragmentation that tends to steer football viewers away from viewing the game on TV amp160There is an overabundance of opportunities to view football offplatform that cull the most exciting moments amp160Aamp160wide choice of Fantasy Leagues also syphon attention from viewing while focusing fans on plays and players that contribute to their personal curated league amp160New esports franchises like WinPlay are likely to accelerate this trendEmotional Engagement as a Performance FactorLEAP39s audience data is based on a patented process that quantifies a consumer39s emotional attachment or bond to a brand then creates a sophisticated look at likeaudiences at scale These include Brand Enthusiasts fans who are highly attached to a brand Brand Conquests who are moderately attached to a brand and Brand Expansion audiencesamp160The percentage of fans who are Monday Night Football enthusiasts has declined over a two year period amp160Enthusiasts are defined as those who are extremely unwilling to give up a brand or in the case of media extremely unwilling to give up watching a particular show or franchise amp160LEAP39s EAamp174 ratings tend to correlate with Nielsen ratings amp160Further the percentage of enthusiasts not only declined among adult viewers there were even greater declines among men who viewed Monday Night Football over a twoyear periodAccording to Reisman fewer people and fewer men in particular feel strong loyalty to the NFL brand quotThey are more willing to give up watching Monday Night Football as evidenced by the 143 drop 24 vs 28quot Reisman notesamp160amp160quotThat would mean that the NFL would have fewer enthusiastically engaged viewers amp160The drop is larger among men 36 to 29 a 194 drop which could translate into viewers who are less likely to watch MNFquotBut to be fair year after yearamp160we have seen that among TV programming tentpole shows and eventsamp160the NFL is one of the most attaching media franchises among 1864 year oldsquot he continues quotSo while the NFL may have diminished in its EA over the past two years it is still top dog and still a very valuable media propertyquotHow to Reverse Performance DeclinesHow can MNF and the NFL reverse the erosion in enthusiasm amp160Reisman is philosophical amp160quotLike any brand you focus on finding out why there is drop in emotional attachmentquot he says quotWhat factors are driving thatquot amp160He recommended addressing the following questionsamp160Has the NFL possibly oversaturated the airways creating lower engagement amp160eg quotI can always find an NFL game or watch clips online so why watch TVquotHow much has the media fragmentation impacted NFL viewership and is declining viewership driving a decline in emotional attachment or vice versaDoes it have to do with the potential longterm effects of game play on players amp160Does it have to do with scandals around players Is this widespread and affecting other sports as wellDoes it have to do with other factors that can be understood through further research and addressedAre consumers especially young viewers more interested in other TV video and digital entertainment optionsquotOnce you understand why people are losing emotional attachment to the franchise you can develop strategies and tactics to address just like any other consumer brandquot Reisman explains amp160quotPeople are talking about competition distribution platforms Twitter leakage of subscriptions for ESPN player concussions players sitting out the national anthem the aging out of the audience amp160Obviously there are a lot of factors but one factor that should be taken into consideration is raw marketplace emotional attachment and resulting engagement that has decreased as wellquotEmotional attachment is a leading indicator that suggests there are simply fewer people who are highly attached to the NFL than there were two years agoquot Reisman concludes quotThis is the primary stakes of viewership amp160Emotional attachment to the NFL franchise is declining Our data suggests this is yet another factor that should be looked at seriously and addressed by the leaguequotComments can be addressed to Gary Reisman at garyleapmediainvestmentscomClick the social buttons above or below to share this story with your friends and colleaguesThe opinions and points of view expressed in this article are exclusively the views of the author andor subjects and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillagecomMyersBizNet Inc management or associated bloggers

SUBSCRIBE FOR FREE MEDIAVILLAGE CONTENT | BECOME A THOUGHT LEADERSHIP CONTRIBUTOR

Are Viewers Losing Affection for the NFL?

Author

Publish date

Channel

Charlene Weisler

We Are the Outliers - By Jack Myers

More Videos:

SUBSCRIBE FOR FREE MEDIAVILLAGE CONTENT | BECOME A THOUGHT LEADERSHIP CONTRIBUTOR

Are Viewers Losing Affection for the NFL?

Enjoying This Commentary? There's More to Love

Charlene Weisler

We Are the Outliers - By Jack Myers

Cookies