Gridiron Giants: NFL Rules the Ratings Roost Amid Political Storms

Unfazed by Election Fever

In a year marked by intense political drama, the NFL held its own, delivering steady TV ratings despite the high-stakes presidential race.

Contrary to the decline in NFL viewership during the 2016 election, this season's numbers remained stable, beating back the potential threat posed by the quadrennial spectacle.

Credit for this resilience can be attributed to the surge in streaming consumption. Football also managed to withstand formidable challenges, including an assassination attempt, a presidential dropout, and an overall 8% dip in TV usage.

Changing the Broadcast Landscape

Presidential Intrigue Reshapes the Top 100

While politics failed to disrupt the NFL's dominance, the presidential race did shake up the composition of this year's Top 100 "Broadcasts" list.

"Broadcast" is used here with tongue in cheek to include Amazon Prime and Netflix entries, complicating the usual categorization.

Last year's chart was virtually a victory lap for the NFL, which claimed 93 of 100 slots. This year, the league's supremacy diminished slightly, with 72 appearances. Still, this outpaced its performance eight years ago when it contended with the Summer Olympics.

Sports Battle for Turf

Similar to 2020, sports claimed a significant share of the 100 most-watched events in 2024, occupying 80 slots. This included college football, the Olympics, NCAA hoops, and the World Series.

AFC vs. NFC Power Struggle

The long-standing AFC dominance has faded, with the NFC now accounting for 28 of the year's most-watched broadcasts compared to the AFC's 23. Interconference meetings have flourished, with 21 out of 100 top slots featuring AFC vs. NFC matchups.

Chiefs, Cowboys, and Ravens Reign Supreme

Kansas City Chiefs and Dallas Cowboys tied for the highest number of appearances (13), while Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens made 10 appearances.

Emerging rivalries between Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, and Lamar Jackson have sparked some of the biggest draws on the chart.

NFC's Edge in Ratings

Despite the decline in NFC dominance, the conference still enjoys a ratings boost due to its geographic distribution, with teams situated in major population centers like New York and Los Angeles.

Other Bright Spots

In a year largely dominated by sports, non-football events struggled to make a significant impact. However, the World Series provided a bright spot with Fox's coverage of the Yankees-Dodgers matchup.

The absence of LeBron James and Steph Curry from the NBA Finals hurt the league's ratings, while CBS's coverage of Duke's demise in the men's NCAA Tournament failed to crack the top 100.

Entertainment in the Shadow

Outside of sports, regularly scheduled entertainment programming was conspicuously absent from the 2024 Top 100. CBS's Tracker, which was once a ratings success, has managed to hold onto a modest audience.

Football: A Source of Solace

As America navigates the choppy waters of political turmoil, football serves as a welcome distraction from the fray.

While next year's chart may not replicate the NFL's exceptional performance in 2023, the easing of political drama is likely to restore the lineup to its previous normalcy.