The troubled National Football League continues to struggle with furious fans after months of player protests proceed with no end in sight; with Thursday’s game posting the lowest recorded TV ratings for the 2017 season for both CBS, NBC, and the NFL Network.
According to Deadline Hollywood, the ‘Thursday Night Football’ match-up between the Denver Broncos and Indianapolis Colts posted abysmal ratings and terrible stadium attendance, breaking a season low record as the NFL enters its 15th week.
“Snagging a 7.4/13 in metered market results, last night’s TNF was a season low for the broadcast, on both CBS and NBC and simulcast on NFL Network,” writes Deadline. “Taking a double-digit hit, the December 14 game was obviously down from last week and also the comparable gridiron match-up of last year where the Seattle Seahawks beat the L.A. Rams 24-3.”
The NFL began hemorrhaging fans earlier this year after President Trump called for a nation-wide boycott of the league until officials and owners barred players from “taking a knee” during the performance of the national anthem.
While several owners vowed to crackdown on the overt political demonstrations on the field, so far none have implemented rules or punishments for their athletes that refuse to stand for the ‘Star-Spangled Banner.’