Posted on 02/08/2017 7:05:36 AM PST by 11th_VA
The Super Bowl delivered its smallest audience among adults 18-49 in at least ten years.
Super Bowl 51 between the Patriots and Falcons delivered a 37.1 rating and 47.6 million viewers in the adults 18-49 demographic, down 2% in ratings and a fraction of a percent in viewership from Broncos/Panthers last year (37.7, 47.9M) and down 5% and 4% respectively from Patriots/Seahawks in 2015 (39.1, 49.7M).
It was the lowest rated Super Bowl in the demo since Steelers/Cardinals in 2009 (36.7) and the least-watched in at least a decade.
Since hitting 52.5 million in 2011, Super Bowl viewership among adults 18-49 has declined for six straight years. Ratings in the demo have declined for five straight after hitting a 40.5 in 2012.
This year, adults 18-49 made up just 42.77% of the audience for the primary TV broadcast (111.3M) — down from 42.78% last year and the smallest percentage in at least a decade. The demo accounted for more than 50% of the audience back in 2008, but its proportion has declined in each year since.
It is possible that some of those viewers have shifted to streaming, as the digital Super Bowl audience has risen each year since the game was first streamed in 2012. It is also possible that some viewers have simply aged out of the demo and were not replaced in sufficient numbers by those aging in. Whether those explanations can fully account for the loss of 4.9 million viewers in six years remains to be seen.
In adults 18-34, Sunday’s game had a 32.9 rating — down 1% from last year (33.3) and down 8% from 2015 (35.8). The corresponding viewership figure was not available.
Libs took a smackdown, just like November.
Sweet.
Agree the game has become to commercial. That said it was a heck of game.
Here we see again changing demographics. The melting pot of America is bringing more focus on the international sport of soccer. The world plays it. Many coming here now have little affection for all things America like football. Culturally it is not inherent to them so they do not adopt it. This runs through many aspects of American life.
I also agree that video games take kids from the sand lots and fields and allows them to adopt the couch. We also have parents now whom are anti sport with any violent action involved. Football is a rough sport.
Let us not forget to add we had an all east coast game. Teams and location always feed into viewership.
Colin K, Roger Goodell and other fools
Sports have been a huge part of my life (playing and watching) and I’m in the under 40 demographic. I’ve slowly been weening myself away from all professional sports with basketball and football being the last two holdouts. I haven’t watched any NBA this year and I told myself this Super Bowl was the end of the NFL for me.
I look forward to filling my Sundays with wholesome family activities from here on out. My wife is shocked...
Eventually I’m hoping I can convince her that we don’t need our Dish subscription...so we can stop funding people and organizations who hate everything we hold dear.
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