Originally Posted by Speigelau

Advertisers pay rates based on ratings and base their ROI on an expected number of eyeballs who view the ads. When ratings drop dramatically, as they have the first few weeks of this season, advertisers don't get the return they expect and many have pulled back on their spending.

Game ticket sales are only a small fraction of total NFL revenue, with the bulk of it coming from their TV rights deal with Espn and the major networks. When the TV networks can't sell advertising at the rates they need to get an ROI on the millions they are paying the NFL, they start complaining. Unsatisfied networks can have a severe impact on the NFL when it comes time to renegotiate a new TV deal.

4 months ago Espn laid off 100 employees. Many blamed the firings on their NFL deal as they had drastically overpaid and the big ratings dip of last year meant Espn had to lower it's advertising rates. I've never seen baseball ratings higher than the NFL, it happened last week.

Roger Goodell has said in the past players have a right to express their feelings during the national anthem. Now that it has affected the NFL's pocketbook, he's demanding they stand during the national anthem. Nice double standard.