what football fan stopped watching because of negative publicity? IMO, they stop watching because they don't enjoy watching as much
what football fan stopped watching because of negative publicity? IMO, they stop watching because they don't enjoy watching as much
Casual fans which drive consumption, women, etc
As more hardcore followers we tend to think everyone is like us.
Although I do think most of this negative publicity is temporary, it sure is pretty overwhelming and for it to have a short-term impact on interest in the game doesn't surprise me.
But I dunno maybe your right, all the flags don't really bother me when 8 games are going on at once. MNF is unwatchable though with all the commercials.
I don't believe casual fans drive consumption, casual fans will watch if they're with hardcore fans (save for the SB)
hard core fans drive consumption, hard core fans purchase the NFL Ticket and / or Red Zone. Hard core fans fill the sports bars, and casual fans follow them there
we're just going to have to agree to disagree
hard core fans drive consumption, hard core fans purchase the NFL Ticket and / or Red Zone. Hard core fans fill the sports bars, and casual fans follow them there
we're just going to have to agree to disagree
You are looking at everything from your perspective.
None of this stuff is going to stop the die hard fan from watching.
Peyton Manning could have executed someone on YOUTUBE and Goodell could have given him a 2 game suspension and the diehards would keep watching.
But the fringe fan is the one that will stop.
And its the fringe fan that makes the NFL what it is as far as the huge TV deals.
And to be honest, the NFL cares more about the fringe fan then they do the die hard because they know they have the die hard fan locked up for life.
Its the fringe fan they have to preserve.
Same thing in politics.
The politicians don't run commercials for the base.
They have them locked up.
They don't run ads for president in New York, Cali, Texas, or Mississippi.
They spend all their money in Ohio, Florida, North Carolina, etc..
You are isolating everything into your world view taking anything else into account.
Everyone talked about the NBC poll where 86% of the population said that none of the Goodell handling of the RR incident has any effect on how they will watch football.
Everyone seems to be reading that poll and saying "see I told you so". Like that was some great confirmation that this has no effect.
Well let me tell you. 14% of the football population is a lot of people.
If 14% really quit watching football over this that is a BIG deal.
That translates into billions of dollars of lost money for the NFL.
14% is not anything to sneeze at and ignore.
And based on the early ratings returns, the poll is reflecting the ratings.
I think I read where for the first time in over 7 years the opening weekend in the NFL had less viewers then they did in the opening weekend of the year before.
You are correct that the hard core fans purchase the tickets and all the stuff you said above.
But you are highly undervaluing the roll of the casual fan.
The casual fan that will watch a monday night football game because they have a player in a $10 fantasy league adds up to billions of dollars a year in television revenue.
The NFL has done an amazing job of creating the casual fan.
That has made the difference in the NFL being what it is compared to other leagues.
The NFL has casual fans.
MLB does not have casual fans.
MLB has millions and millions of die hard fans.
But it lacks casual fans.
MLB does not have casual fans that will watch the Reds play the Padres in August.
The NFL does have casual fans that will watch Cleveland play the Bills in December.
The hard core fans are going to watch both.
So the NFL and any major corporation should always go after the casual fan as long as they have the base secured.
And thats what all successful companies do.
Gentlemen, I would suggest that the fantasy football fan is watching. I would suggest that person's viewing habits will not change because of some bad press. I would also suggest the casual fan isn't even following the scandals.
I think the rules might be a slight factor but I doubt it.
People say the product on the field is bad but people have been complaining about the rules for 5 years. Even before this season.
But the last 5 years have been the best 5 years ever ratings wise.
I think the rules piss off the hard core fan more then it does the new casual fan.
The hard core fan is going to bitch a moan about the new rules but at the end of the day if you ask them what they did this Sunday they are going to tell you that they either went to an NFL game or they sat in front of the TV watching the games 9 hrs.
The casual fan probably does not care about the D holding and personal fouls.
They just want to see a 40 to 30 game.
People say the product on the field is bad but people have been complaining about the rules for 5 years. Even before this season.
But the last 5 years have been the best 5 years ever ratings wise.
I think the rules piss off the hard core fan more then it does the new casual fan.
The hard core fan is going to bitch a moan about the new rules but at the end of the day if you ask them what they did this Sunday they are going to tell you that they either went to an NFL game or they sat in front of the TV watching the games 9 hrs.
The casual fan probably does not care about the D holding and personal fouls.
They just want to see a 40 to 30 game.
Thats what Bud Selig said about 7 years ago.
"Some bad press" is downplaying it though.
Between Rice/Ap that stuff has been in the news on a daily basis for about 3 weeks running now. I'm sure it has temporarily turned some casual viewers off.
I mean some people are absolutely losing their minds and thinking totally irrationally about it. The guy we're conversing with in this thread for instance....
I don't have this crazy notion that NFL players as a whole are worse people then the general population as a whole.
But other people are starting to believe that false perception.
And perception is reality.
I realize that there are many good people in the NFL.
That is not the issue.
The issue is the leadership that is basically endorsing bad behavior that has to stop.
If you are going to punish a coach for hearsay for an entire year when the coach had no knowledge of the situation but then the commish pretends he had no knowledge and receives no punishment that is a double standard that has to be corrected.
New leadership is needed in the NFL and viewership is going to start suffering until that happens.
local and regional numbers are very strong, but in season national ratings suck
baseball, with 162 games, is a local and regional event, and their ratings are fine
so maybe Bud was right (too)
