NFL Pro Bowl Ratings Drop Again Despite Flag Football Push

The NFL suffered another TV ratings decline over the weekend, even though it was the bye week for the Chiefs and Eagles preparing to play in Super Bowl LIX.

Viewership for the Pro Bowl Games decreased for the third consecutive year in the rebranded iteration of the league’s all-star contest. ABC, ESPN, and Disney XD drew 4.7 million viewers for Sunday’s simulcast, according to a source that viewed the Nielsen ratings, which was headlined by a flag football game, along with other competitions like a punting contest and tug-of-war match. The NFC beat the AFC 76–63.

Those ratings are down by more than 1 million viewers—roughly an 18% decrease—from the 5.75 million who tuned in to the Pro Bowl Games flag football finale last year. In 2023, the audience was 6.2 million during the first year using the new format. In 2022, the final year with a tackle football game, the Pro Bowl drew 6.7 million viewers.

On Sunday, there was an announced crowd of 54,313 in Orlando at Camping World Stadium, which has a capacity of more than 60,000. That’s down slightly from 55,709 last year.

On Thursday night, the Pro Bowl Skills Show averaged 1.13 million viewers on ESPN, just down from 1.14 million last year. It was the second-most-watched edition of the skills show since 2018.

Flag Football’s Rise

The NFL continues to use the Pro Bowl Games to promote flag football ahead of the sport’s Olympic debut at the 2028 Los Angeles Games.

In Orlando, veteran Buccaneers receiver Mike Evans, 31, became the latest player to throw his name in the ring for a spot on Team USA.

“This is good practice for me in the Olympics,” said Evans. “Most likely I’ll be retired by 2028. How many years is that? Three years? I don’t know. But if I am retired, I would definitely like to play in the Olympics.”

Last summer, NFL stars like Dolphins receiver Tyreek Hill and Cowboys defensive end Micah Parsons made their interest in competing in the Olympics known.