National TV ratings down, but Steelers say it isn’t because of the quality of play
PITTSBURGH 鈥� Arthur Moats says he has a sure-fire way for the NFL to increase its sagging TV ratings.
鈥淭he Steelers haven鈥檛 been on every prime-time game, that鈥檚 the problem,鈥� the Steelers linebacker said Wednesday. 鈥淣FL, listen here, if you want the ratings to go up. Put the Steelers on Sunday and Monday night every week and we鈥檒l boost the ratings up. It鈥檚 simple.鈥�
If only it was.
While the Steelers remain a ratings winner locally and nationally, even they haven鈥檛 been able to turn the tide of declining ratings in the U.S. The Steelers鈥� Week 4 win over Kansas City, a lopsided affair, drew 16.7 million viewers, the smallest for a NBC 鈥淪unday Night Football鈥� game.
The league has seen an 11-percent dip in its national ratings this season, 14 percent among the coveted age 18-49 demographic. Across the board, the NFL鈥檚 prime-time games have seen sharp declines. Through Week 4, Thursday night games were down 15 percent, Sunday nights down 12 and Monday nights down 16, according to the Washington Post.
This week鈥檚 Carolina-Tampa Bay game on ESPN鈥檚 鈥淢onday Night Football鈥� drew a 6.5 rating, the lowest for a Week 5 game since the Worldwide Leader acquired the franchise in 2006.
And that was after last year鈥檚 Week 5 MNF game between the Steelers and Chargers 鈥� another game that was decided on the final play 鈥� drew an 8.5, the lowest for a Monday night since 2008.
Ask any Steeler why the decrease and there鈥檚 myriad reasons and theories. Almost all of them have some validity.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think you can base it only on one thing,鈥� said guard Ramon Foster, the Steelers rep to the NFL Players Association.
Some point to the last two presidential debates, both held on a Sunday and Monday night.
Some point to a backlash from the national anthem protests led by Colin Kaepernick and recent player arrests.
Some point to the number of football games, including college, on TV per week, and the blurring of the two games with the spread offenses.
Some point to the rise of fantasy leagues, the NFL Networks鈥� Red Zone channel and the way fans, particularly younger ones, watch football.
Some point to the rules becoming convoluted (what鈥檚 a catch? too many calls challenged and games taking too long).
鈥淚t鈥檚 a violent game, I think it needs to continue to be violent because that鈥檚 the name of the game,鈥� said wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e just trying to take concussions, (hits against) guys who are defenseless, out of the game. They鈥檙e ticky-tack on every little thing. Things like celebrating and things like that. It鈥檚 entertainment. People want to see entertainment. That鈥檚 why we go to the movies. That鈥檚 why we go to the circus. That鈥檚 why we go to football games. We want to see entertainment.鈥�
Despite the drop in ratings, the Steelers, to a man, said they believe that the quality of play 鈥� the product 鈥� hasn鈥檛 dropped at all.
鈥淧lay is great, always has been,鈥� Heyward-Bey said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 why the NFL is the best league in America because the quality is always good. You have great athletes and guys out there going hard each and every day.鈥�
鈥淕uys are still hitting, still making big plays and catches,鈥� said Foster. 鈥淚鈥檓 enjoying myself. I feel like every time we walk into the stadium it鈥檚 jam-packed.鈥�
Veteran long snapper Greg Warren says he doesn鈥檛 have any concrete answers to the league鈥檚 ratings woes. But he knows that the athletes who are coming into the league nowadays are far better than when he debuted in 2005. He points to 300-pound guys running 4.5 in the 40-yard dash.
But maybe, Warren says, the NFL should just leave good enough alone.
鈥淭he game is continually evolving,鈥� Warren said. 鈥淎lmost to the point where it鈥檚 always changing and I felt like that it was really good a few years ago. I still think it鈥檚 really good, but maybe if you keep changing things, at some point, maybe you have it the best it is.鈥�