In a "continued effort to improve television ratings, the NFL has discussed the idea of moving" the three 9:30am ET games aired from London to a 1:00pm start time, according to sources cited by Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. The reasoning would be to "close a viewing window the NFL has created that extends the day and possibly detracts from interest in other games." The move could "combat what many believe to be an oversaturation of games and start times" (ESPN.com, 11/20). PRO FOOTBALL TALK's Mike Florio noted starting the London games later would be a "significant concession, given that the league likes having the ability to televise live games during prime time in Asia." But many "believe the NFL has become too accessible; scarcity could be the key toward pumping up interest" (PROFOOTBALLTALK.com, 11/20). Meanwhile, longtime media buyer Les Abrams said the "plethora of ads in NFL games ... for sure leads to lower viewership." Abrams: "There are commercial breaks every time there’s a change of possession, after every score, extra point, injuries, et al. Fine, let’s leave that alone. However, let’s eliminate the commercials after kickoffs following a scoring play. On average, this may mean eliminating 7-9 breaks per game -- each lasting 2-2 ½ minutes" (N.Y. POST, 11/20).
WHAT TO DO? THE DAILY's John Ourand this week discusses ideas floated by NFL execs and broadcasters to boost game ratings (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 11/21 issue).
