• Loading stock data...
Saturday, November 2, 2024
The Best Employers in Sports survey is open through Nov. 6 Learn More

CBS Hoping Chiefs, Stars, and Slime Can Deliver Even Higher NFL Ratings

  • Several factors, including the NFL’s still-growing popularity and the Chiefs, are seen as key audience drivers.
  • Nickelodeon will once again air a kids-focused NFL game production.
Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports

There is a rather high bar for the NFL and its domestic broadcasters to improve television ratings this season after a banner 2023 that included across-the-board increases in viewership and an all-time record for Super Bowl LVIII. 

The challenge grows further because of the U.S. presidential election set for November, something historically shown to be a drag on sports ratings.

But CBS Sports still sees a path for additional audience growth in the 2024 season. Speaking Wednesday with reporters to preview its NFL coverage, network executives laid out several factors it will rely on during the upcoming season:

  • Growth of the NFL’s overall popularity: During 2023, the NFL represented 93 of the top 100 most-watched broadcasts on U.S. television, across all programming, up from 82 in 2022 and 61 in 2018. In an increasingly fractured society, the NFL is perhaps the closest thing to monocultural programming, with no letup in sight. “This sport—every day, every season, it distances itself, against all forms of media,” said David Berson, CBS Sports president and CEO. “The stars that are being built, the product on the air, the fact that they’re willing to innovate … they’re doing a really good job.”
  • All Chiefs, all the time: The two-time defending Super Bowl champions were already a focal point of the 2024 NFL schedule. But CBS Sports will air nearly half of the team’s slate, with a minimum of eight Kansas City games to be shown on its network. Of course, it also doesn’t hurt that the Chiefs feature the league’s biggest star, quarterback Patrick Mahomes (above, right), and tight end Travis Kelce, boyfriend of global pop icon Taylor Swift.
  • Quarterback star power: While Mahomes will certainly be a point of emphasis, CBS as the primary home of the AFC will regularly air other signal-calling stars in the conference such as the Bengals’ Joe Burrow, the Bills’ Josh Allen (above, left), the Ravens’ Lamar Jackson, and the Texans’ C.J. Stroud. The balance of QB power has swung decidedly toward the AFC in recent years.
  • Broadcast TV trends: Macro-level media disruption has fueled a sharp rise in over-the-air television as a refuge for cord-cutters and cord-nevers. That trend plays directly into the hands of the NFL and networks such as CBS, which have made broadcast TV a foundation of its coverage for decades.

“The media landscape is complicated, and a lot of entertainment [content] is moving to other platforms,” Berson said. “But sports, you still have to see it live. Every day, sports become more important, and the NFL is far and away the leader in that respect.”

The Slime Is Back

CBS Sports will once again air a kids-oriented NFL game production on Nickelodeon, reviving an effort that began in 2020 and was deployed twice last season, including in Super Bowl LVIII. The next effort will be during one of two wild-card games the network will show in January.

“I don’t know if there’s anything that’s been more innovative in coverage of the NFL in a long time,” Berson said of the alternate broadcasts on Nickelodeon. “This is genuinely bringing in an incremental audience and cultivating the next generation of fans.”

From One QB to Another …

Perhaps the biggest change in NFL coverage this season will be the on-air debut of Fox Sports analyst and NFL icon Tom Brady. CBS Sports’ top NFL analyst, Tony Romo, had strong praise for his counterpart.

“I’m excited for him,” Romo said. “To have one of the greatest players ever, if not the greatest player, do this, it’s only going to be a positive.”

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Sep 28, 2024; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; GOP Presidential candidate Donald Trump waves flanked by former Georgia Bulldogs player Herschel Walker, recording art Kid Rock, professional golfer John Daily, Alabama senators Tommy Tuberville (R) and Katie Britt (R) during the second half of the game between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Georgia Bulldogs at Bryant-Denny Stadium.

Mission Swing State: College Football’s Political Advertising Battle

Trump, Harris, and the PACs that support them are utilizing the sport.

Rays’ Future Uncertain As Tropicana Field Repairs Begin

The Rays still don’t know where they will play in 2025.
Adam Schefter

Adam Schefter Uses Same Pirated NFL Clips As Everyone Else

ESPN’s NFL insider posted a video from an illegal stream Thursday night.

Could Amazon Make Black Friday a Legitimate Sports Holiday?

Prime made waves by putting an NFL game on Black Friday. The NBA is on the way.
podcast thumbnail mobile
Front Office Sports Today

First-Ever 12-Team CFP Takes Shape

0:00

Featured Today

The Untapped Revenue ‘Powder Keg’ of Women’s NFL Fandom

There’s a “boatload” of money at stake for brands and the league.
Oct 19, 2024; Gainesville, Florida, USA; Florida Gators quarterback DJ Lagway (2) shakes hands while entering the locker room after a game against the Kentucky Wildcats at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
October 28, 2024

NIL Director Is the Trendy New Job in College Sports. But the Role Is Chaos

Athletic departments nationwide are hiring for what’s become their most important position.
FuboTV signage
opinion
October 26, 2024

Fubo’s Fight Against Streaming Giants Feels Futile

Fubo notched a legal win, but subs and stock still slump.
October 25, 2024

Inside The Wall at L.A. Clippers’ New $2B Home

FOS went inside the “contagious” energy at the L.A. Clippers’ Intuit Dome.
Fubo-TV

Fubo Reports 9% Subscriber Growth As Venu Sports Trial Looms

The sports-focused streamer grew revenue by 21%.
October 31, 2024

Comcast’s Olympic Gold: Paris Games Spark Surge in Peacock Subscribers

Company revenue and Peacock subscriptions rise thanks to a big Olympics boost.
October 31, 2024

World Series Delivers 7-Year Ratings Record, Marking MLB’s Big Comeback

Viewership of the five-game win by the Dodgers soared by 74% over last year.
Sponsored

World Series Delivers High-Demand Marquee Matchup

The hype around the World Series matchup drove ticket prices to record levels—but the Dodgers’ dominance quickly quieted the fervor.
October 30, 2024

World Series Game 4 Draws 16.7M Viewers, Up 92% From 2023

The average audience of 16.7 million nearly doubles the comparable figure from last year.
October 30, 2024

Controversy, Championship Battles Keep F1 Viewers Tuned In

Lando Norris and Max Verstappen had a controversial encounter again Sunday.
October 30, 2024

NFL TV Ratings Up and Down in October As Election Draws Near

The NFL took an 8% ratings hit around the 2016 presidential cycle.
October 29, 2024

Baseball Wins the Night: World Series Outdraws ‘Monday Night Football’

MLB gains a rare head-to-head viewership win over the NFL.