NEW YORK — NFL TV ratings are surging, along with those for many sports properties. Partly this is due to the continued emergence of sports as must watch content, a trend that spurred vast private investment in the sector and an explosion in franchise values.
But it’s also because ratings maven Nielsen began counting homes differently. In addition to its long standing human panel, a representative group of TV homes, Nielsen this year added what it terms big data from sources like set-top boxes and smart TVs.
Hans Schroeder, NFL Media executive vice president and chief operating officer, was asked during the owners meetings today about how much of the league’s seven percent ratings rise could be ascribed to Big Data’s inclusion. He didn’t quite answer that question – ok he didn’t answer at all. But he made some interesting observations nevertheless.
One, Nielsen is still “fine tuning” its measurement process. “We actually think we’re doing phenomenally well with the growth we’re seeing, and maybe still growth to come as Nielsen really dials in and continues to fine tune their measurement,” he told reporters at a media briefing. That suggests there could be a further ratings bounce coming from the inclusion of Big Data.
In other words, comparing 2025 to 2024 was always going to be somewhat apples and oranges and next year’s comparison (2026 to 2025) more real. But not if Nielsen is still tinkering with how it measures the Big Data component.
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Look for a lot of NFL themed flag football content later this season. The league announced here that the ever changing Pro Bowl will now be played Tuesday night of Super Bowl week, and remain a flag football event. Gone will be goofy games that preceded the Pro Bowl. This is one more element of the NFL’s buildup to the 2028 Olympics, which will feature flag. The Sunday before the Super Bowl, which had been the date of the Pro Bowl, ESPN will now run features on the all star contest.
“A dedicated Pro Bowl show that Sunday, the first an NFL live Pro Bowl special at 11 that morning, and then at noon on ABC, a show that we’re building with ESPN that really tells the stories of those Pro Bowl players and highlights and points to Tuesday,” said Peter O’Reilly, NFL EVP of events.
Also, during weeks 17 and 18 the NFL will begin hyping the Pro Bowl. “The new element we’re working on this year is really how we announce and elevate that honor of being a pro bowl player in week 17 and 18, starting with those Christmas Day games and through Week 18 is when we’ll really highlight those Pro Bowl players,” he said. “Elevate the announcements you all have seen in the past, the great work that clubs have done of surprising players on social we’re going to weave that into the broadcast.”
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This meeting marked the first since the NFL chose Bad Bunny as the Super Bowl Halftime show act, sparking a deluge of right wing criticism. The critics point to the Puerto Rican’s comment that he had canceled US tours because of worries ICE would show up at his concerts.And the critics also don’t like that he sings in Spanish (as if it’s typically easy to understand the halftime show’s lyrics).
Asked about the controversy, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell told the media, “He’s one of the leading and most popular figures in the world. That’s what we try to achieve. It’s an important stage for us. It’s an important element to the entertainment item. It’s carefully thought through. I would say that I’m not sure we’ve ever selected an artist, where we didn’t have some blowback of criticism. It’s pretty hard to do when you have literally hundreds of millions of people that are watching. But we’re confident it’s gonna be a good show.”
While many right wing platforms have attacked the NFL, President Donald Trump has not done so with any of the vigor he exhibited nearly a decade ago in blasting the league for allowing players to kneel before the national anthem to protest racism and instances of police brutality.
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Are you not entertained? Goodell has been commissioner since 2007, and in the league since 1982. He described this season as the most entertaining he has seen (even though he started out as a Jets intern, he obviously is not speaking for their fans in his assessment). Many games have been afflicted by penalties and injuries, but the league is putting on a happy face so far. Goodell noted 70 percent of games are within one score.
The league wants to add an 18th regular season game, which seems slightly nuts given the physical toll of the season. But for the time being the NFL won’t move on this, Goodell said, until the NFLPA leadership situation is resolved, which is expected next year. The NFL needs NFLPA approval to increase the number of regular season games, which has long been thought to be a formality after the expansion to 17 games in 2021.