[Snorlax94]

According to data compiled by Sports Media Watch, golf's U.S. Open was

  down 42 percent. The Kentucky Derby: 43 percent. The Stanley Cup

  finals: 61 percent. The vaunted NFL is down 13 percent early in its

  season. MLB's division series were down 40 percent. A World Series

  between, potentially, Atlanta and Tampa Bay isn't likely to change the

  tide.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/20...-politics/



(may be behind a paywall)



BC

I think this article has the source data. https://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2020/10...iewership/

Even with the drop in viewership, I think I saw a report that all 15 of the most watched shows so far during the fall season are NFL games. Sports continues to deliver a bigger audience than other shows to advertisers. The doom and gloomers expecting the rights fees for sports broadcasts to collapse will be disappointed.

Football is the biggest fish in a much, much smaller broadcast pond. If this keeps up, the sports industry will not be able to maintain its current cost level. Who cares if you are still #1 in broadcast if 60% fewer people are watching and have switched to streaming.

It’ll be interesting to see what happens in 2021 and 2022. To some extent, the drop demonstrates the loss of water cooler banter about sports and watching games with friends, and taking kids especially when the kids play those sports. That part should come back eventually.

But streaming services have done a remarkable job this year delivering the goods. I could see myself watching less sports in the future, though I am really looking forward to when I can return to Stanford Football in-person.

[Snorlax94]

According to data compiled by Sports Media Watch, golf's U.S. Open was

  down 42 percent. The Kentucky Derby: 43 percent. The Stanley Cup

  finals: 61 percent. The vaunted NFL is down 13 percent early in its

  season. MLB's division series were down 40 percent. A World Series

  between, potentially, Atlanta and Tampa Bay isn't likely to change the

  tide.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/20...-politics/



(may be behind a paywall)



BC

I think this article has the source data. https://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2020/10...iewership/

Even with the drop in viewership, I think I saw a report that all 15 of the most watched shows so far during the fall season are NFL games. Sports continues to deliver a bigger audience than other shows to advertisers. The doom and gloomers expecting the rights fees for sports broadcasts to collapse will be disappointed.

Football is the biggest fish in a much, much smaller broadcast pond. If this keeps up, the sports industry will not be able to maintain its current cost level. Who cares if you are still #1 in broadcast if 60% fewer people are watching and have switched to streaming.

It’ll be interesting to see what happens in 2021 and 2022. To some extent, the drop demonstrates the loss of water cooler banter about sports and watching games with friends, and taking kids especially when the kids play those sports. That part should come back eventually.

But streaming services have done a remarkable job this year delivering the goods. I could see myself watching less sports in the future, though I am really looking forward to when I can return to Stanford Football in-person.