NFL's Saturday Night Playoff game effectively pay-per-view

[DaveBrown74]

Well, so much for the NFL pissing off its fans to the point that angry fans will boycott their product.


https://twitter.com/MySportsUpdate/status/1749808188806107294

[MightyGiants]

Well, so much for the NFL pissing off its fans to the point that angry fans will boycott their product.


https://twitter.com/MySportsUpdate/status/1749808188806107294

I would be careful about drawing too many conclusions about this.  Remember, there was an actor and writer strike.  The alternative offers are currently less than normal as many shows have not made it back yet.

[uconnjack8]

I think the time slot was perfect for a big rating.  Not too late on the East coast. 

[DaveBrown74]

I would be careful about drawing too many conclusions about this.  Remember, there was an actor and writer strike.  The alternative offers are currently less than normal as many shows have not made it back yet.

Fair point, but I think it's also fair to say that the league has never been more popular than it is today, and there are, to this point at least, no signs of that trend reversing.

And for the record I didn't like what they did.

[MightyGiants]

Fair point, but I think it's also fair to say that the league has never been more popular than it is today, and there are, to this point at least, no signs of that trend reversing.

And for the record I didn't like what they did.

I am mindful of a wise old saying-  "You can't tell the difference between flying and falling until you hit the ground"

[DaveBrown74]

I am mindful of a wise old saying-  "You can't tell the difference between flying and falling until you hit the ground"

I guess that makes sense in some aspects of life, but to the extent that the popularity of the NFL is quantifiable by various objective metrics including TV ratings, attendance, various other sales metrics, etc, I would argue that it would not be that difficult to observe a decline in the league's popularity, if and when there is one.

So while I understand the broad thrust of that saying, I'm not completely convinced that it applies in this case.

[MightyGiants]

I guess that makes sense in some aspects of life, but to the extent that the popularity of the NFL is quantifiable by various objective metrics including TV ratings, attendance, various other sales metrics, etc, I would argue that it would not be that difficult to observe a decline in the league's popularity, if and when there is one.

So while I understand the broad thrust of that saying, I'm not completely convinced that it applies in this case.

Considering the Marvel Cinematic Universe.  If someone said Marvel was killing the golden goose with the way they were doing things, people would have pointed to the healthy box office takes of Thor, Doctor Strange,  and Black Panther.  Yet the very next year the box office plummeted seemingly without warning.

[DaveBrown74]

Considering the Marvel Cinematic Universe.  If someone said Marvel was killing the golden goose with the way they were doing things, people would have pointed to the healthy box office takes of Thor, Doctor Strange,  and Black Panther.  Yet the very next year the box office plummeted seemingly without warning.

I hear you.

Is it your opinion that that will happen with the NFL next year (or in the near future)?

[MightyGiants]

I hear you.

Is it your opinion that that will happen with the NFL next year (or in the near future)?

It's hard to say when or how rapid a decline will be.   If I were to guess, we could see the start of a slower decline within the next 5 years.  The owners are consistently putting profits ahead of the quality of their product and fan satisfaction.  I have yet to see a business model where such an approach was successful long-term.

[Bill Brown]

As long as there is the rule that the local stations get the broadcast rights to the game I'm fine. I can watch any game I want no matter what streaming service is being used.

Bill

[DaveBrown74]

It's hard to say when or how rapid a decline will be.  If I were to guess, we could see the start of a slower decline within the next 5 years.  The owners are consistently putting profits ahead of the quality of their product and fan satisfaction.  I have yet to see a business model where such an approach was successful long-term.

Is it not fair to say that the league was doing everything it could to make money hand-over-fist 5 years ago?

I heard many predictions a decade or so ago that the league was facing an imminent existential crisis due to the concussion issue and their perceived lack of serious regard for player safety. Not only were many predicting an imminent decline in popularity, but I routinely heard predictions of the NFL being on the brink of ceasing to exist. Not only has that not happened, but the leagues seems to have only done better and better as the years have piled on.

I am not saying the NFL will never decline. I don't think at all. But what I will say is that I have been hearing about this for quite some time now, and I'm not sure that the occasional streaming game (when the rest of the entertainment world is moving in this direction too) is going to be the straw that breaks the camel's back.

[TDToomer]

Well, so much for the NFL pissing off its fans to the point that angry fans will boycott their product.


https://twitter.com/MySportsUpdate/status/1749808188806107294

What am I missing here? The game was on CBS and easily the best matchup of the 4 games. It's not like it was a Peacock exclusive. Speaking of which what were the ratings for the game that was on Peacock only?

[kartanoman]

I am mindful of a wise old saying-  "You can't tell the difference between flying and falling until you hit the ground"

I take that to the next level with the equally old saying "Any landing you walk away from is a good one."



Peace!

[PSUBeirut]

It's hard to say when or how rapid a decline will be.   If I were to guess, we could see the start of a slower decline within the next 5 years.  The owners are consistently putting profits ahead of the quality of their product and fan satisfaction.  I have yet to see a business model where such an approach was successful long-term.

There are no other business models to compare to the NFL, in my opinion.  It is entirely unique and a powerhouse beyond any other sports venture known to man.  I find it very hard to believe that the NFL is going to face any kind of substantial decline in the next 5 years- they're just getting started toward global markets and there's still, oddly enough for such a behemoth, a lot of growth to come in that area. 

Moving to streaming being a bad business model?  hmmmmm I'm not sure that's a prediction that has ever held up, nor will it.  The older folks may grouse about it, but I'm pretty sure streaming and the Internet is the way we're going...

[kartanoman]

There are no other business models to compare to the NFL, in my opinion.  It is entirely unique and a powerhouse beyond any other sports venture known to man.  I find it very hard to believe that the NFL is going to face any kind of substantial decline in the next 5 years- they're just getting started toward global markets and there's still, oddly enough for such a behemoth, a lot of growth to come in that area. 

Moving to streaming being a bad business model?  hmmmmm I'm not sure that's a prediction that has ever held up, nor will it.  The older folks may grouse about it, but I'm pretty sure streaming and the Internet is the way we're going...

There's no question the medium to deliver NFL product is in the early adopter stage at this point. "How" the product will be delivered in the future will not be an issue as the NFL will stay at the cutting edge of maximizing viewership at maximum revenue stream. It will alienate some loyal viewers, at various stages, but they'll hedge their bets that enough will convert to the latest medium/technology.

The other variables (e.g. future of football in the USA, declining numbers of students playing, possible declining interest of future generations, impact of globalizing the game) suggest the NFL may have to make changes to its business model to retain existing fan loyalty and interest as well as develop a new generation of fans (e.g. fantasy football).

To be sure, their marketing division has to be on its feet to be ready for those marketability "shifts," if you will, and take action at points in time which may seem odd today, but seem innovative 10, 15, 20 years from now. This is how you keep your business relevant in changing times.

Peace!