Report: The NFL and its TV partners are on track to lose $500 million this year alone as ratings plunge

Just two years ago, the NFL was an unstoppable force with record viewership and revenue. But now, the league is in a major decline. The full effect that the last two seasons have had on the league are now being realized.

What’s going on?
It all began in preseason 2016 when then-San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick kneeled during the national anthem to protest police brutality and systemic racism in the U.S. There were protests and some ratings decline because of the kneeling protests, but by the end of the season, the controversy had smoothed over.

But then President Donald Trump inserted himself into the controversy early in the 2017 season, which caused more players to kneel and more Americans to boycott the league. This led to decreased ticket sales, decreased viewership, decreased popularity and finally, decreased revenue.
According to OutKick the Coverage, the league and its TV partners — CBS, Fox Sports, ESPN and NBC — have already lost hundreds of millions of dollars this season. Ratings have dropped overall by 20 percent since 2015, the site reported. But it gets even worse: the TV partners are on track to lose $500 million this year alone.

Article by: Chris Enloe Weekend Editor TheBlaze.com

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