• Loading stock data...
Friday, July 11, 2025

CBS Sports Chairman: NFL TV Ratings Are Speeding ‘Freight Train’

  • NFL regular-season game audiences rose 10% to 17.1 million viewers last year.
  • ‘There’s nothing like the NFL,’ says CBS Sports boss Sean McManus.
Sean McManus
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Throughout the TV business, there’s a lot of doom and gloom about TV ratings for news and entertainment falling off a cliff. But networks that broadcast live NFL games are all smiles heading into the new 2022 season.

The NFL has emerged as the most popular property in all of entertainment, blowing away dramas, reality shows, and sitcoms, as well as other leagues. 

  • NFL regular-season game telecasts averaged 17.1 million viewers during the 2021 season. 
  • That was up 10% from the year before — and the highest regular-season average since 2015; NFL games ranked in 48 of the top 50 telecasts.
  • Fans consumed 370 billion total minutes, up 18%, and the highest figure in six years.
  • NBC’s coverage of Super Bowl LVI drew over 208 million viewers, or two-thirds of the U.S. population.

During a CBS Sports press call previewing this season’s coverage, chairman Sean McManus said he expects another big year ratings-wise for the 300-pound gorilla of sports.  

“The fanbase gets more and more rabid every year. And the storylines get more intriguing every year,” McManus said. “So it’s a freight train going down the tracks. It’s just gaining speed, and gaining momentum, every single year.

The NFL’s TV partners CBS, NBC Sports, Fox Sports, ESPN, and Amazon Prime Video pay a premium for access to the entertainment equivalent of beachfront property. Last year, these companies signed media deals worth $110 billion over 11 years — nearly double the size of previous contracts. 

In return, networks get a magnet for viewers, advertisers, and affiliates that serves as the financial linchpin of their operations. 

Here are some reasons why the NFL is King, according to McManus:

Non-stop media coverage: The NFL gets far more media coverage than MLB, NBA, NHL, MLS, or other pro sports. Add in the non-stop promotion by networks like ESPN and NFL Network, the Shield is omnipresent. 

Over the past couple of years, NFL TV networks have agreed to $1 billion in new contracts to secure top game announcers like Tony Romo and Jim Nantz of CBS, Troy Aikman and Joe Buck of ESPN and Tom Brady of Fox. 

“There’s nothing like the NFL. There’s a story about the NFL 365 days a year,” McManus said.

Year-round sport: There is no offseason any more, noted McManus. Whether it’s the NFL Draft, NFL Combine, or daily news out of summer training camps, the NFL is a 24/7, 365-day obsession. 

Round 1 of the 2022 NFL Draft on April 28 drew a combined average viewership of 10 million across ABC, ESPN, and NFL Network. “Everybody wants to follow it,” McManus said.

Sudden death: Unlike most sports, NFL Playoff games are single elimination. “Every game is important. Every playoff game is a win-or-go-home game unlike the other sports, which are  best-of-five or best-of-seven,” McManus noted. NBC’s “Sunday Night Football” has reigned as the most-watched TV show in prime time for a record 11 straight years. Said McManus: “Every game during the regular season is important because there’s only 17 of them.”

The same dynamics that make the NFL a juggernaut also apply to College Football. The difference is the NFL is far better managed and marketed than the decentralized sport of college football. It’s no surprise the Big Ten Conference is following the NFL’s blueprint and trying to become the “NFL of college conferences.”

As Fox Sports’ Mike Mulvihill noted on Twitter: “TV usage keeps going down, football viewing keeps going up. Receding tide that doesn’t lower every boat.”

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Feb 5, 2025; New Orleans, LA, USA; NFLPA executive director Lloyd Howell during the NFLPA press conference at the Super Bowl LIX media center at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center.

NFLPA Head Has Side Hustle With PE Firm That Can Invest in..

The NFLPA’s executive director is embroiled in multiple controversies.
exclusive

Amazon Adding Dell Curry to NBA Coverage Team

The 16-year NBA veteran has been a Hornets color commentator.

NFL’s Alternate Uniforms Fuel Big Business—and Lots of Nostalgia

The Commanders kick off a run of new NFL helmets and uniforms.

Browns $600M Stadium Deal Hit With Suit Over ‘Unclaimed’ Money

Ohio’s use of unclaimed funds for a new stadium is challenged legally.

Featured Today

Jun 28, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh (29) bats during the game between the Texas Rangers and the Seattle Mariners at Globe Life Field.

The Torpedo Bat Business Is Still Going Strong: ‘Here to Stay’

Demand for the oddly shaped bats has stayed strong across the sport.
July 6, 2025

American Celebs Want to Be Sports Owners. Soccer Is Where They Start

As U.S. team prices climb, investors set their sights abroad.
July 5, 2025

Baseball’s Celebrity Row: Behind MLB’s First-Pitch Ritual

Often planned, sometimes spontaneous, the ritual throw is baseball’s celebrity row.
July 4, 2025

3,000 Hot Dogs, $20K in Prizes: Behind the Nathan’s Eating Contest

Nathan’s serves up thousands of hot dogs and $20,000 in prize money.
Jul 10, 2025; Wimbledon, United Kingdom; Iga Swiatek of Poland at her on court interview after winning her match against Belinda Bencic of Switzerland on day 11 at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club.

Wimbledon Set to Deliver Strong Finals Matchup for ESPN

Novak Djokovic is still in the hunt for his 25th Grand Slam.
Feb 7, 2025; Storrs, Connecticut, USA; UConn Huskies center Tarris Reed Jr. (5) reacts after his basket against the St. John's Red Storm in the first half at Harry A. Gampel Pavilion.
July 8, 2025

After Decade Apart, ESPN and Big East Rekindle Media Rights Relationship

After a decade-plus apart, the network will stream hundreds of conference events.
Paige Bueckers
exclusive
July 8, 2025

Women’s March Madness Expansion Wouldn’t Yield More ESPN Money

ESPN is not required to pay extra if women’s March Madness expands.
Sponsored

Game On: Portfolio Players Stories, Brought to You by E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley

Dealmaker Jeffrey Kaplan maps the evolution of sports as an asset class
Jul 6, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Mexico forward Marcel Ruiz (14) heads the ball in front of United States midfielder Brenden Aaronson (11) in the second half during the 2025 Gold Cup Final at NRG Stadium.
July 7, 2025

USMNT Struggles Still Produce Big Gold Cup Ratings for Fox

The U.S. team’s recent issues culminated in a loss to Mexico.
July 2, 2025

Paramount Settles Trump Suit Ahead of NFL Season, Skydance Merger

The deal likely allows the much larger Skydance merger deal to proceed.
Leo Messi
June 27, 2025

TNT, Club World Cup Ride Messi to Surprisingly Solid Debut Ratings

TNT Sports carries about a third of matches in the U.S.
June 24, 2025

Fever vs. Aces Draws 5th-Largest TV Audience of 2025 WNBA Season

ESPN will carry seven more Indiana Fever games this year.