News and Commentary

As NFL Ratings Plummet, Networks Consider Giving Ad Space Away For Free

Emily Zanotti
As NFL Ratings Plummet, Networks Consider Giving Ad Space Away For Free
Michael Reaves/Getty Images

A precipitous drop in ratings for National Football League games has networks slashing ad prices and renegotiating contracts with key advertisers, The Wall Street Journal reports Sunday.

Overall, viewership for the 2020 NFL season is down around 9% from the 2019 season according to Front Office Sports, which tracks sports business news. Week-over-week, though, the damage is much worse. “The NFL averaged 14.5 million viewers in unlucky Week 13, down 29% from the same week last year,” the outlet noted on Friday.

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