When it comes to huge global sports, the NFL is still at the top of the tree for many. Although recent events might have caused overall revenue to dip in 2020, it is still thought that the average team value in the NFL is $3.5bn! These kinds of figures show that the NFL still attracts plenty of money, plenty of fans and plenty of viewers.
Indeed, it is a sport that relied heavily on viewing figures in recent times to keep engaged those fans who could not get to games in person. This saw more people than ever tune in to matches on their TVs and made the NFL truly dominant in this sphere. The average regular season game in 2020, for example, drew 15.4 million viewers – while the top six non-sports shows averaged only 11.2 million viewers.
Football is also the most watched of all the sports and draws more viewers on a regular basis than others. The Superbowl game, for example, usually draws viewing figures in the hundreds of millions. But what is it about NFL games people like so much?
Why do viewers love watching NFL games?
For its close rivals, this is the burning question. Why is NFL the best sport to watch on TV and why are viewers drawn to it? A big reason is the sheer physicality of football and the hard-hitting action it delivers. You just do not get this in most other big sports such as baseball or basketball.
The NFL also pulls in so many viewers because it is a popular sport to bet on. Many people catch games to see how the real-life action affects their fantasy side, while others will place real-money sports bets over the season and tune in to see how their wagers pan out. Many bettors will also catch NFL games to see which players are in form or which sides are strongest. If you like to wager on the NFL, there are more tools and analysis on this site to use in conjunction with your own analysis and help improve your betting.
The NFL also knows how to put on a great show and the coverage of games on TV is superb. As well as top-class insights and commentary, you also get fewer ads in football to spoil the flow. There is also the history that football comes with – it has long been the most popular sport to follow within America and the most popular to catch on TV. This makes watching games a well-established and valued part of many sports fans’ routine.
Can the NFL retain its dominance in viewing figures?
Although football might still be the most watched sport around, there are a few competitors constantly looking to close the gap. Recent years have seen leagues such as the NBA take steps to do this and inject new life into their own coverage.
This leads many people to wonder if the NFL can stay at the top of the tree in future. For many, the new media rights deal signed in March to the tune of $111.8bn seems to suggest this is true. You would have to think that this level of investment from broadcasters will see them pulling out all the stops to keep NFL games their top attraction.
How else could the NFL maintain its dominance?
In many ways, it is merely a case of carrying on doing what they have been doing to date. As noted above, the NFL clearly dominates the TV viewership figures over rivals such as baseball, hockey and basketball. If they can continue to engage fans with well-produced TV coverage that is shown at regular, convenient times, they should have no issues.
If the sport itself continues to produce top-class action and brings through star players to follow, then it should have no problem hanging on to viewers. However, with some top NBA players from last season looking to light up the 2021/22 campaign for TV viewers, football cannot afford to rest on its laurels.
NFL still the most viewed sport on TV
When you look at what the NFL delivers, it is no wonder that it retains its place as the most watched sport. There is every reason to believe that it will hold on to this position moving forward. While the return of crowds to stadiums might see TV viewing figures drop, this will be the same for other sports. You may also find that many people have become used to the convenience of watching games at home and this should keep NFL viewing figures up.
