NFL ratings plunge amid Black Lives Matter messaging, competition from NBA, NHL

Initial ratings for the first game of the NFL 2020 regular season plunged amid the league’s social-justice push and greater competition from other professional sports.

The overnight Nielsen Media Research figures showed that the prime-time Thursday night match-up on NBC Sports dropped 16.1% in the key 18-49 demographic, attracting 16.4 million viewers in what could be a 10-year audience low, according to Deadline.

The 34-20 win by the Kansas City Chiefs over the Houston Texans was unusual in several respects: Thanks to the novel coronavirus, only 17,000 socially distanced fans were allowed at Arrowhead Stadium, and the season began without the traditional lead-up after the NFL canceled preseason games.