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Fact check: Donald Trump on NFL ratings
The Denver Broncos and the San Francisco 49ers
September 28, 2017
By Fact Check by Ballotpedia staff
During a visit to Alabama on September 22, President Trump stated that the ratings for National Football League (NFL) games are “down massively,” which he attributed, in part, to players kneeling during the national anthem.[1]
Are NFL ratings down massively?
Average television ratings for NFL games fell 8.6 percent between the 2014 and 2016 seasons. The average viewership per game also decreased from 20.1 million to 18.9 million. In the two weeks since the start of the 2017 season—and prior to Trump’s comments—average ratings decreased 12.6 percent compared to the first two weeks of the 2016 season, from 10.5 to 9.2. Average viewership decreased from 18.2 million to 16.1 million.[2][3][4]
Background
According to CNN, "Players from all 28 teams in the league that played Sunday [September 24] participated in some form of protest." Athletes from the National Basketball Association, Major League Baseball, and non-professional sports also engaged in protest.[5]
The practice was started at a 2016 preseason game by Colin Kaepernick, a former San Francisco 49ers quarterback. At the time, Kaepernick said, "I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color."[6]
While campaigning last week in Alabama for Sen. Luther Strange, who was later defeated in the Republican primary, Trump encouraged NFL team owners to fire players who refuse to stand during the national anthem.[1] The president also claimed that the public was tuning out the games because of players’ disrespect of the anthem, in part.[7]
In response, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell released a statement calling the president's comments "divisive," adding that the "NFL and our players are at our best when we help create a sense of unity in our country and our culture."[8]
2014, 2015, and 2016 seasons
Ballotpedia examined three years of ratings data for national NFL game broadcasts, as well as the regional broadcasts reaching the largest percentage of the country in a given timeslot.
Television viewership data is recorded by The Nielsen Company and presented in two forms: a ratings score and total viewership. Ratings scores represent the percentage of households with a television that watch a specific program. Total viewership refers to the aggregate number of viewers watching a program across the country.[9] The website Sports Media Watch reports the Nielsen television ratings scores and viewership data for NFL broadcasts.[10]
Average ratings and average viewership increased slightly from the 2014 season to the 2015 season before falling in the 2016 season. Between 2014 and 2016, the average television rating of an NFL broadcast fell 8.6 percent. Average viewership fell 6 percent, from 20.1 million to 18.9 million.[4][2][11][3]
2017 season
When Trump spoke about NFL ratings on September 22, the league had completed the first two weeks of the regular season.[12] Average ratings were 12.6 percent lower and average viewership was 11.3 percent lower in those first two weeks than the average for weeks 1 and 2 of the 2016 season. Average ratings and viewership in week 3 (after Trump spoke) were 11.4 percent and 10.4 percent lower, respectively, than week 3 of the 2016 season.[4][2][13]
| Average NFL ratings and viewers | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-2 | Week 3 | |||
| 2016 | 2017 | 2016 | 2017 | |
| Ratings | 10.5 | 9.2 | 9.8 | 8.7 |
| Viewers | 18.2 | 16.1 | 16.7 | 15.0 |
|
Note: Viewers in millions. | ||||
Conclusion
While visiting Alabama last week, President Trump claimed that NFL ratings are “down massively.”[1]
Between the 2014 and 2016 seasons, average television ratings for NFL games fell 8.6 percent. Average viewership also fell, from 20.1 million to 18.9 million. In the two weeks of games prior to the president’s remarks, the average ratings fell 12.6 percent compared to the first two weeks of the 2016 season, from 10.5 to 9.2, and average viewership declined 11.3 percent, from 18.2 million to 16.1 million.[2][3][14]
See also
- Federal policy on Black Lives Matter, 2017-2020
- Donald Trump
- Fact check: Are ratings for MSNBC’s Morning Joe program high or low?
Sources and Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 CNN, "Trump: NFL owners should fire players who protest the national anthem," September 23, 2017
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Sports Media Watch, "2016 NFL TV Ratings," accessed September 26, 2017
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Sports Media Watch, "2014 NFL TV Ratings," accessed September 26, 2017
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Sports Media Watch, "2017 NFL TV Ratings," accessed September 26, 2017
- ↑ CNN, "NFL players, owners come together to denounce Trump's anti-protest rant," September 25, 2017
- ↑ National Football League, "Colin Kaepernick explains why he sat during national anthem" August 27, 2016
- ↑ Twitter, "Donald Trump on September 24, 2017," accessed September 26, 2017
- ↑ National Football League Communications, "Statement from NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell," accessed September 26, 2017
- ↑ Forbes, "What Are Nielsen Ratings And How Are They Calculated?" December 18, 2015
- ↑ Sports Media Watch confirmed for Ballotpedia that all data is from The Nielsen Company Cory Eucalitto, "Email communication with Paulsen, Sports Media Watch writer and editor," September 26, 2017
- ↑ Sports Media Watch, "2015 NFL TV Ratings," accessed September 26, 2017
- ↑ CBS Sports, "2017 NFL schedule release: Here's the time and date for all 256 games," April 21, 2017
- ↑ Ratings and viewership data for weeks 1-3 of the 2015 was incomplete.
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
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Launched in October 2015 and active through October 2018, Fact Check by Ballotpedia examined claims made by elected officials, political appointees, and political candidates at the federal, state, and local levels. We evaluated claims made by politicians of all backgrounds and affiliations, subjecting them to the same objective and neutral examination process. As of 2025, Ballotpedia staff periodically review these articles to revaluate and reaffirm our conclusions. Please email us with questions, comments, or concerns about these articles. To learn more about fact-checking, click here.
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