2009 NFL TV numbers sky high
While many NFL teams are working overtime trying to insure that their stadiums are sold out, there is a bit of good news for the NFL. That news is the TV numbers are way up and on a near record pace. While strong TV numbers is good, they may bring about two problems of their own. The first involves the NFL local TV black out rule, and the second could be the elimination of the working class for NFL game attendance.
The average viewership for NFL games is at its highest point in 20 years. On average each NFL broadcast has 17.4 million viewers. Through four games in 1989 that number was 18.1 million. What is a little surprising is that double header games, aired at 4:15 on CBS and Fox have averaged 22.3 million viewers. On top of that this week’s Monday Night game of the Minnesota Vikings versus the Green Bay Packers netted the largest TV audience for a TV show shown on Cable ever, with 21.8 million viewers.
Now games are blacked out in the local market if the game is not sold out by 72 hour before kickoff. The NFL does allow one 24 extension to that deadline if a team is close to selling out. However, since the economy is soft, and more fans are choosing to stay home and watch the games on TV. A disturbing trend could emerge that has the NFL losing fans. If a fan chooses not to attend a game, or cannot afford to attend he may find something else to do with his fall weekends.
On top of that the average fan, the working folks like me are continually being priced out of sporting events. If I wanted to take my son to a Detroit Lions game it would cost me nearly 300 dollars. That is a hefty price when we could just as well stay home and enjoy the game together there for the price of my monthly cable bill. While nothing could replace the thrill of live sports, they are becoming very price prohibitive.
