The ratings for NFL “Sunday Night Football” were up by 2 percent, but it basically matched the season low of last week, according to Deadline Monday.
The week 9 match up between the Oakland Raiders and the Miami Dolphins appeared to have done nothing to improve the ratings slump the league has been experiencing throughout the season in the wake of the national anthem protests. (RELATED: The World Series Ratings Just Topped The NFL For The Second Time Ever)
Running back Damien Williams #26 of the Miami Dolphins is tackled by outside linebacker Cory James #57, middle linebacker NaVorro Bowman #53 of the Oakland Raiders and middle linebacker NaVorro Bowman #53 of the Oakland Raiders of the Oakland Raiders, at Hard Rock Stadium on November 5, 2017 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Chris Trotman/Getty Images)
The 27-24 Raiders victory in Florida Sunday night scored a 9.6/16 in metered market results. Sunday night’s game was down by 18 percent over the year before in early numbers. That game ended up earning a 6.6/20 in the key demographic with 18.33 million viewers.
This season games are averaging a 5 percent slump over the 2016-2017 season and a 19 percent drop over the 2015-2016 season.
In comparison, last week’s Sunday night game that lead to a Pittsburgh Steelers win over the Detroit Lions and was up against a contentious game 5 of the World Series, earned a 4.8/15 among adults ages 18-49 with 13.86 million viewers.
At the start of the game several players on the Dolphins’ team kneeled during the national anthem. It was the first protest since Dolphins coach Adam Gase made a rule against doing so and said players who didn’t stand must stay in the locker room or tunnel during the singing of the “Star Spangled Banner.”