The NFL is back. Spreading the news or something with a lot of people.
Thursday night’s season-opening matchup between the Chiefs and Texans attracted 19.3 million viewers between 8 and 11 p.m., down 12.3% from last year’s ratings, which ended with an audience of 22 million people. The timeline noted that the key is pulled in the 18-29 demographic, 5.2 rating, down from last year’s figure of 12.8.
It is possible that multiple factors played into the drop, including social justice messages, which are present, while the size of the audience has declined in all games in recent months. An unbeaten game – 34-20 wins the Chiefs, during which they led 24 in the fourth quarter – probably played a role. So, there was also an unusual competition from the unprecedented sports calendar, with the NBA Playoffs, NHL Plays, MLB Regular Season, US Open and Football League Football all taking place on Thursday night.
NBC notes that with their network and the NFL’s digital platform, total audience delivery has reached 20.3 million viewers.
Still, the Chiefs are bringing back their first Super Bowl title in 50 years, with the match between Kansas City and Houston having as much national appeal as last year’s game between the Packers and the Bears. This also marks the first NFL season to start without a preseason game, perhaps reducing hype and awareness.
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