NFL superstar Tom Brady weighed-in on the league’s sagging ratings this week, publicly admitting that he “doesn’t follow” the NFL like he used to after a disastrous 2017 season surrounded by political controversy.
The New England Patriots quarterback was speaking with interviewer Jim Gray when he was asked to comment on the NFL’s “erosion” after a 10% decline in viewership in less than one season.
Why are NFL TV Ratings Down? Tom Brady says: "There’s so much for us to consume…I hate to say it, but I don’t follow it like I used to because there are so many other things to follow…I think that it’s still doing better than every other program out there” #MIGlobal pic.twitter.com/zbWBLOzz52
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“There’s so much for us to consume, as we all know,” Brady said. “There’s so much happening… I hate to say it: I don’t follow it like I used to.”
“There’s a lot more competition today than there’s ever been, I think, especially with social media, for people to consume information or to consume content. The NFL has had a great product, people love watching the game. I think it’s still doing better than every other program out there. But compared to a time when there was less things to do, it doesn’t live up to those standards,” he added.
Watch Brady’s admission above.
BLIND SIDE: NFL 'Mega' Sponsor Suddenly Pulls Ads from League
The controversy surrounding the National Football League continued to take its toll on the organization’s beleaguered bottom-line on Wednesday, after a ‘mega’ sponsor decided to pull its advertisements from future games for the remainder of the season.
In response to player protests during the national anthem, the owner of a New Jersey ‘mega’ car dealership decided to pull its ads for the rest of the 2017 season, or until league officials and owners crackdown on political demonstrations during the performance of the ‘Star-Spangled Banner.’
“The National Football League and its owners have shown their fans and marketing partners that they do not have a comprehensive policy to ensure that players stand and show respect for America and our flag during the playing of the national anthem,” said the owner of Flemington Car and Truck Company. “We have cancelled all of our NFL advertising on the Optimum and Infinity [cable] networks.”
“As the NFL parses the important nationwide issues of ‘social justice’ and ‘freedom of speech,’ it is clear that a firm direction by them is not forthcoming,” he added.
The NFL found itself in the midst of a media firestorm last month, following a string of player protests against the national anthem; prompting a steep decline in ticket sales, merchandise, and television viewership.
h/t NJ.com
END ZONE: NBC Says Major MEGA-SPONSORS Ready to DROP NFL
Following last week’s announcement from Papa John’s founder John Schnatter that they would begin removing NFL-related advertisements, NBC executives are now warning the National Football League that other mega-sponsors are mulling whether to follow the pizza chain and pull future ads from the 2017 season.
According to Ad Week, NBC-Universal executive Linda Yaccarino told a round-table discussion that Papa John’s “wasn’t alone” in expressing their outrage over months of professional athletes “taking a knee” during the US national anthem.
“None of NBC-Universal’s NFL advertisers have pulled out of NBC’s Sunday Night Football or Thursday Night Football games. However, a ‘list of advertisers have made themselves very clear: if you continue covering the political coverage of the issue, we will not be part of the NFL,'” she said. “Because think about it: they have half the country that is cheering about that, and they have half the country that is emailing them, saying, don’t do that. So that’s a real thing.”
The NFL has been struggling to regain its footing following weeks of players choosing to “take a knee” during the performance of the US national anthem.
The ensuing controversy gained national attention when President Trump called for a total boycott of the NFL until officials and owners require players to stand during the ‘Star-Spangled Banner.’
