NFL TV ratings figure in early-season dive

Oct 20, 2016 - 1:58 AM NFL commissioner Roger Goodell wasn't interested in making excuses on Wednesday as he addressed the league's dip in the television ratings during the first few weeks of the 2016 season.

"It's something that I don't think there's a single reason for," Goodell said at the owners' meeting in Houston.

"But we also know that the prime-time ratings we're seeing the most dramatic decrease.

"We don't make excuses, we look at it and we try and figure out what's changing."

Goodell noted that the way people consume their media has played a role, and he contends that he's being more proactive in that regard.

"It's why we've been doing more with Snapchat and YouTube and others. And it's why we did our work with Yahoo last yea.

"We're seeing these changes," he said.

Asked if the national anthem protest is turning people off and was reflected in the ratings, Goodell said: "We don't think that's a factor and neither do our network partners."

Source: AAP