• Loading stock data...
Thursday, November 21, 2024

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

Old Rivals, New Stakes: Notre Dame and Army to Clash in Yankee..

The two schools are playing for the first time since 2016.

From WWE to Washington: Linda McMahon Is Trump’s Pick for Education Secretary

McMahon was the president and CEO of WWE for nearly 30 years.

Roki Sasaki Pursuit Could Lead to Chaos in 2025 International Class

Big league clubs may redirect bonus pool money to chase the Japanese phenom.
Sep 29, 2024; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis acknowledges a fan before the start of a game between the Raiders and the Cleveland Browns at Allegiant Stadium.

Mark Davis to Unload More of the Raiders

He’s agreed to give 15% to new owners, shortly after the Brady sale.
podcast thumbnail mobile
Front Office Sports Today

Who Can Actually Afford Juan Soto?

0:00

Featured Today

Nov 18, 2023; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Williams Racing driver Logan Sargeant of the United States (2) during the Las Vegas Grand Prix at Las Vegas Strip Circuit.

F1 Grand Prix Upended Vegas Last Year. Stakes Are High for Its..

Stakes are high as F1 gears up for a successful second act.
Classic Football Shirts New York Pop-Up
November 18, 2024

Vintage Soccer Jerseys Have Found a Sweet Spot in the Lucrative U.S...

The money-making shirts are at the prime intersection of memorabilia and fashion.
Nov 13, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Josh Hart (3) reacts after fouling Chicago Bulls guard Coby White (not pictured) during the second half at Madison Square Garden.
opinion
November 16, 2024

NBA Ratings Rorschach Test: Buy the Dip

Was it the election? Too many threes? Lack of storylines?
November 15, 2024

Executive Decision: When Richard Nixon Named a College Football Champion

In 1969, the 37th president unilaterally named the winner of the season.
A photo of Around the Horn's set

‘Around the Horn’ to End 23-Year ESPN Run in 2025

ESPN had reportedly been thinking of canceling the show since the summer.
Nov 19, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; The Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers play during the second half at TD Garden.
November 20, 2024

Cavs vs. Celtics Draws Big TV Numbers in NBA Cup Showdown

The game averaged 1.94 million viewers and peaked at 2.7 million.
November 21, 2024

NBA Legend Hubie Brown Stepping Away From ESPN at 91

Brown has been associated with the league for over 50 years.
Sponsored

How UBS Crafts Impactful Partnerships Across Sports, Arts, and Culture

As UBS continues to expand its impressive array of sports and entertainment partnerships, the company solidifies its position as a leader in wealth management.
November 20, 2024

NFL Ratings Hold Strong Through Election Season, Chiefs Lead TV Pack

In 2016, NFL ratings fell 8% from the prior year.
November 20, 2024

Comcast’s SpinCo: New Home for USA Network, Golf Channel, Sports Rights

The move by NBC Sports’ parent company reflects how dramatically the linear television business has changed.
Nov 18, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) looks on against the Miami Heat during the third quarter at Kaseya Center.
November 19, 2024

Will NBA Flex Last-Place Sixers From National TV Games?

Philadelphia is 2–11, tied for last in the NBA.
November 19, 2024

Bills’ Dethroning of Chiefs Draws Highest TV Ratings of NFL Season

The massive rating continues Kansas City’s dominance as the NFL’s No. 1 TV team.