Here are the two reasons why I believe ratings are down:
1. NBC is not practicing Strategic Simplicity®. The viewing choices are complex enough to cause people to experience paralysis by analysis. There are too many options. Some sports are streaming on Peacock, some are broadcast on NBC, CNBC, MSNBC, USA Network, etc.
2. The games are in a very far time zone. In the old days, you could not learn the results until you watched the rebroadcast during American prime time. Today, results are available instantly on websites, news feeds and, in many cases, pushed to your devices. It's hard to be interested in watching a sport when you already know the outcome, particularly if the team/athletes you are rooting for lost.
These problems are not going away, because multiple streaming/broadcast options and instant updates are now part of life.
© 2021 Praveen Puri
