The reasons for the NFL’s ratings decline this season have been "hotly disputed," but a newly released survey suggests that players kneeling during the national anthem "were primarily to blame," according to data cited by Valerie Richardson of the WASHINGTON TIMES. A UBS Securities analysis released yesterday showed that 50% of U.S. consumers who watched less football in '17 "cited their disapproval of players refusing to stand during the national anthem." That was the "most popular response" in the survey and is up from 32% last year. The "second most checked explanation was 'not as interested in professional football,'" which registered 29%, followed by off-field player behavior, which was cited by 23%. Other factors cited for NFL’s decline include "heightened concern over player concussions, uncompelling games, poor officiating and even bad weather." The survey was "conducted in November with 2,000 consumers age 13 and over, using a sample representative of the population on gender, age, geography, household size and household income" (WASHINGTON TIMES, 2/7).
