NFL, you've got a problem

[M.Fillmore]

The NFL, which is second only to the US Treasury in its ability to print money, has issues.

Declining ratings, declining attendance.

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/look-levis-stadium-is-almost-empty-for-buccaneers-49ers-game/

Hulu? Netflix? Kap the jerk? The odious Goodell?

[Todd4State]

Maybe too much parity? Back in the day I really enjoyed the 49ers/Cowboys rivalry.

[PassInterference]

Their ideas are obsolete by at least a generation. They are primarily in a 1970's TV distribution model. They pick what games you're gonna see and you'll like it.

Or you'll do something else.

Drop the DirecTV exclusive. Make the NFL as accessible as college football.

Oh and the NFL is clamping down on franchises sharing clips on social media. Yeah...cut your product out of social media. Brilliant.

Play some games in Europe so they air here on Sunday morning. Brilliant.

Fan jerseys cost $100.

They don't know how to distribute their product in a modern way. They've subtracted games in the US to push them into other countries who don't care. They've banned themselves from exposure to mellenials. Its cost prohibitive for kids to wear player names on their backs.

In short, the NFL has over estimated its importance to society as well as their predictions that consumers would chase the NFL to gobble up their product on their terms.

[Commercecomet24]

Their ideas are obsolete by at least a generation. They are primarily in a 1970's TV distribution model. They pick what games you're gonna see and you'll like it.

Or you'll do something else.

Drop the DirecTV exclusive. Make the NFL as accessible as college football.

Oh and the NFL is clamping down on franchises sharing clips on social media. Yeah...cut your product out of social media. Brilliant.

Play some games in Europe so they air here on Sunday morning. Brilliant.

Fan jerseys cost $100.

They don't know how to distribute their product in a modern way. They've subtracted games in the US to push them into other countries who don't care. They've banned themselves from exposure to mellenials. Its cost prohibitive for kids to wear player names on their backs.

In short, the NFL has over estimated its importance to society as well as their predictions that consumers would chase the NFL to gobble up their product on their terms.

That was an excellent post! Nailed it!

[Todd4State]

I will say PI that I wish I could watch clips from like condensed games from the 80's 49ers on YouTube and everytime someone does the NFL makes them take it down a few months later. It sucks.

[dawgs]

49ers have multiple problems aligning to create attendance like this.

1) building a new stadium over an hour from actual San Francisco with no real public transportation option and god knows parking costs

2) shitty team with no superstar young talent to get excited about building the future around

3) that new stadium prices out common fans, and heavily caters to the tech bro crowd, which is always going to be far more fairweather. It's like the lower level seats at new Yankee stadium that are rarely more than half full. This is really a problem both college and NFL is having because they'll sell blocks of seats and boxes to big corporations at premium prices, build the stadium experience around those ticket holders, and those ticket holders show up at lower rates, then because the experience is catered to the fans that don't show up, if the prices haven't driven away common fans, the experience may alienate them.

[somebodyshotmypaw]

For me personally, the anthem protests have affected how much I watch. The NFL's tolerance of the anthem protests, players running out of the tunnel in the "hands up don't shoot" pose after the Ferguson issue, etc. turned me off. They should be punished severely. Riley Cooper was punished for something he did outside the stadium, but they let these protesters slide for something inside the stadium.

[msstate7]

Nfl officials decide too many games now. I watch games to see players make plays, but mostly I see nitnack calls by officials determine games as much as players

[DownwardDawg]

Many teenagers these days have never watched a NFL game on tv.

[MaxedOutMaroon]

A lot of college-age individuals and young adults, including me, have moved to amazin FireTV or things like it. It doesn't affect college football, because I have full out ESPN. With the NFL, I get two games a week Fox America'a Game of the Week and Monday night football because I can't watch local. As someone else said, it needs to become more accessible

[Cooterpoot]

And there should NEVER be an f'ing tie in football! N E V E R!!!

[Cooterpoot]

Many teenagers these days have never watched a NFL game on tv.

Teenagers today miss out on all the good in life because they can't get off their damn phones. Got two of them and had to take their phones when they're home or I'd never see them.
Wish their mom would get hooked on social media.

[BB30]

Teenagers today miss out on all the good in life because they can't get off their damn phones. Got two of them and had to take their phones when they're home or I'd never see them.
Wish their mom would get hooked on social media.

Ha Ha sad thing is it is not just teenagers anymore. Take a look around at the next state game when tailgating or when your out and about at a restaurant etc. Everyone is on their phone, it is great to have so much info at your disposal all of the time and it sucks that it is hard to have a conversation with anyone without them picking their phone up and checking everything in the middle of it.

[ShotgunDawg]

Some of the NFL's problems are due to the last CBA when the players negotiated significantly less practice time & days in pads. This has led to a league of poor OLs & off rhythm offenses.

[iPat09]

Like others said, I also don't have cable. I have Sling and that's how I watch most college games. Now, you can stream FOX and NBC, but ONLY if you are in a larger market, which really doesn't make sense to me. Do I want to watch NFL? Absolutely! But not to the extent to where that is the only reason I would get tv again. Yeah, I can get an antenna, but again, I would only use it a handful of times a year. If they were to open up more to streaming, I bet a lot more people would start watching again. It's the day and age where people just dont have tv anymore, and more and more people need to adapt to it.

[M.Fillmore]

The NFL, NCAA, etc. should not use threats to interject themselves into local politics, liberal or conservative. No matter how it comes down, you PO a bunch of fans. Stick to your business and mind it.

[PassInterference]

Nfl officials decide too many games now. I watch games to see players make plays, but mostly I see nitnack calls by officials determine games as much as players

Yes! I should have added that to my list.

Guys like Dez Bryant make AMAZING catches and have them overturned because after they get 2 feet down and complete 2-3 football moves, the ball bobbles on the ground or even out of bounds. Asinine.

Nearly all of the NFL's problems are self-imposed and that's just ridiculous.

[WSOPdawg]

Teenagers today miss out on all the good in life because they can't get off their damn phones. Got two of them and had to take their phones when they're home or I'd never see them.
Wish their mom would get hooked on social media.

Hahahaha, that's classic!!!

[Johnson85]

Their ideas are obsolete by at least a generation. They are primarily in a 1970's TV distribution model. They pick what games you're gonna see and you'll like it.

Or you'll do something else.

Drop the DirecTV exclusive. Make the NFL as accessible as college football.

Oh and the NFL is clamping down on franchises sharing clips on social media. Yeah...cut your product out of social media. Brilliant.

Play some games in Europe so they air here on Sunday morning. Brilliant.

Fan jerseys cost $100.

They don't know how to distribute their product in a modern way. They've subtracted games in the US to push them into other countries who don't care. They've banned themselves from exposure to mellenials. Its cost prohibitive for kids to wear player names on their backs.

In short, the NFL has over estimated its importance to society as well as their predictions that consumers would chase the NFL to gobble up their product on their terms.

Lots of good points in here, but I'll make two even more simple points (although a couple of your posts are saying something similar): (1) the NFL owners have built ever growing revenue into their business model, and that makes it hard/impossible to forego revenue in the short term in order to maintain the health of their product in the long term. Yes, allowing game content to be distributed on social media does represent viewings they are not being compensated for in cash, but there is value in encouraging the community of people interested in your product to share and discuss your product, even if you aren't getting a cut off of it.

(2) The NFL execs no longer have any connection to the NFL's core customers, and so have no clue how to connect with them (and maybe doesn't even realize who they are, as they may be looking at revenue from sky boxes and forgetting that the everyday fan ultimately means more to the league). They can't stop Kapernick from being an idiot and shouldn't try, but they could and should come out and "pick a side". It would have been so easy for them to come out with a statement along the lines of "We view football and the NFL as an avenue for strengthening our community by allowing people of different backgrounds and beliefs to come together and cheer for a common team. Accordingly, we view football and the NFL as being able to best serve our community by focusing on football rather than politics and therefore try to stay out of political debates. That said, with respect to the recent trend in people boycotting the national anthem, while we recognize that there have always been areas where the U.S. has fallen short of its ideals, we view the national anthem as a time where we celebrate the commitment to those ideals, not as an indication that those ideals are being lived up to in every circumstance. That is why we continue to play the national anthem before games and encourage our fans and team members to join us in recommitting ourselves each game, to the pursuit of those ideals." But the NFL execs are now more like other fortune 500 execs, and they live in such a bubble they don't realize how small a portion of the population (and especially their fans) are represented by social justice warriors.

[starkvegasdawg]

I'll watch Dallas play if they are a game I get but that is it. Aside from that I care very little about the NFL. I grew up a Falcons fan but even if they are on I find myself doing other things than watching NFL football. I just don't care about the NFL. Don't know if I can put my finger on one particular thing, but their insistence on being PC has certainly played a large part here the last few years. I used to be all NFL and cared very little about the college game. Now I can watch college football all Saturday and not give the NFL a second thought on Sunday, Monday, and Thursday.

[Tbonewannabe]

Falcons at least realize this and with the new stadium made prices reasonable. Any event at the new dome has fan friendly prices. Most things on the menu are around $2 and beer is around $4. Most places you go a hotdog is $5 or $6 and beer is $10 or so.

[Drugdog]

I'll watch Dallas play if they are a game I get but that is it. Aside from that I care very little about the NFL. I grew up a Falcons fan but even if they are on I find myself doing other things than watching NFL football. I just don't care about the NFL. Don't know if I can put my finger on one particular thing, but their insistence on being PC has certainly played a large part here the last few years. I used to be all NFL and cared very little about the college game. Now I can watch college football all Saturday and not give the NFL a second thought on Sunday, Monday, and Thursday.

My sentiments exactly. I am on AT&T. If the Saints are playing the same Time as the Cowboys I am SOL. So guess what, I don't watch any NFL. Not every fan in MS is a Saints fan. Give me a choice and I will gladly watch the Cowboys.
Also the Tolerance of sitting down during the National Anthem border lines on the unforgivable.
Play Football. If you want to make a statement do it while your NOT at work.
If I did what they did at my work , I would soon be out of a job.
And one more gripe: If you make a tackle I Don't care to watch you dance. It's your job.

[DancingRabbit]

Dak has come along at a very opportune time for the NFL. Even casual fans seem to have an opinion about the Cowboys, either loving them or hating them. And many haters are now conflicted, still anti-Cowboy but intrigued by and appreciative of the rookie from Mississippi State.

[msstate7]

I've become a regional NFL fan, just like MLB also. I watch the saints and the braves. I really have no interest in any games other than those 2 unless it affects standings for braves and saints. I used to love all NFL and MLB games, but no longer... maybe there's many more like me in this aspect hurting tv ratings