NFL audiences for streaming games continue to get younger
NFL audiences for streaming games continue to get younger
New data shows that the median age of viewers for “Thursday Night Football” is considerably lower than that of games on broadcast channels.
Every time a new streaming-exclusive NFL game is announced, it’s met with a round of consternation from fans. NFL viewers are growing more frustrated at the league’s obsession to get its games on as many outlets — and increasingly streaming services — as possible, from Prime Video to Peacock to Netflix. But, there is a reason behind all of this broadcast madness. New data from Sports Business Journal shows that Prime Video consistently brings in a younger audience for “Thursday Night Football” than NFL games on broadcast channels do, and as the streaming audience matures, that means more games on streaming services will be a mere fact of life going forward.
Key Details:
- The median age for 15 “TNF” telecasts in 2024 was 49.
- ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC all saw a median audience age of 55.6 or higher.
- Prime Video gets 20% of its audience from the age 18-34 demographic.
Although NFL viewership dipped 2% overall in 2024 compared to the 2023 season, no one is writing any epitaphs for the league just yet. It still has the most in-demand product on TV, as evidenced by “Sunday Night Football” being on pace to be the most-watched primetime show on TV for the 14th season in a row.
However, younger viewers are key to the NFL remaining the dominant force in the American TV landscape, which is why the data from Prime Video’s “TNF” games this season is especially encouraging to league officials. The numbers show the median age across the 15 “TNF” telecasts this season was 49 years old.
Among ABC (which aired some “Monday Night Football” games also found on ESPN and ESPN2), CBS, Fox, and NBC, no linear TV channel saw a median audience age of younger than 55.6 years old. In addition, linear networks all saw 51% to 52% of their audiences come from the 55+ demographic. At Prime Video, just 39% of the total audience belongs to that demo.
On the other hand, Prime Video sources 20% of its audience from the 18-34 demographic. That number drops to between 13% and 14% for broadcast networks, and it’s further positive news for the league, as advertisers covet this age group more highly than any other because of its perceived amount of disposable income.
It’s not just Prime Video that offers streaming-exclusive games nowadays, either. Netflix picked up the NFL's new Christmas Day package for three years last May, and Peacock offered an exclusive opening-week game to kick off the 2024 season.
Prime Video is still trying to raise its average viewership to the level of games on broadcast channels, but its ratings have improved every season since becoming the exclusive national broadcaster of “TNF” games. If it continues to draw younger viewers at this rate, more streaming-exclusive games on Netflix and Peacock could be just the beginning for the league.
Amazon Prime Video
Amazon Prime Video is a subscription video streaming service that includes on-demand access to 10,000+ movies, TV shows, and Prime Originals like “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power,” “Jack Ryan,” “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” “The Boys,” and more. Subscribers can also add third-party services like Max, Showtime, STARZ, and dozens more with Amazon Prime Video Channels. Prime Video also offers exclusive live access to NFL Thursday Night Football.