I was thinking the other day about how television has changed. Not just the shows we watch, but the entire industry behind it.
And the more I looked into it the more I realized something interesting.
A lot of good TV shows might not be disappearing because they are bad. They might be disappearing because of football.
More specifically, the power of the National Football League.
Now don’t get me wrong. I enjoy football like many people do. But when you look at how the TV business works today, it becomes clear that the NFL has become one of the most powerful forces in entertainment.
The Money Behind Football
A few years ago, the NFL signed one of the biggest deals in television history. Networks and streaming companies agreed to pay about $110 billion for media rights through 2033.
Companies like NBC, CBS, Fox Corporation, The Walt Disney Company, and even Amazon are paying billions just to show NFL games.
Think about that for a second.
If a network is paying billions of dollars for football, they have to make tough decisions about where the rest of their money goes.
And sometimes that means spending less money on other TV shows.
Football Still Dominates Ratings
Another reason the NFL has so much influence is simple. People still watch it.
An average NFL game can pull in 15 to 20 million viewers, sometimes even more. That’s huge compared to most TV shows today.
Many popular dramas or comedies might only get 3 to 6 million viewers on a good night.
So when networks look at the numbers, the choice becomes pretty clear.
Football is the safer bet.
Why Networks Are Playing It Safe
Television networks are businesses. At the end of the day, they have to make money.
Sports…especially the NFL bring something that many other programs struggle to deliver now.
Live viewers.
People usually watch football in real time, which means they see the commercials. Advertisers love that. It’s one of the few places left where millions of people are watching the same thing at the same time.
Because of this, networks are investing more and more into sports.
But that shift comes with a cost.
The Hidden Impact on TV Shows
When networks spend billions on sports rights, they often become more cautious about everything else.
That can lead to things like:
- Fewer new TV shows being made
- Shorter seasons
- Faster cancellations
- Less risk taking with creative ideas
Even good shows can struggle to survive if they don’t bring in big numbers right away.
Football isn’t directly canceling these shows, but it is changing the priorities of networks.
And sometimes storytelling ends up losing that battle.
Streaming Is Joining the Fight
Another thing I’ve noticed is how football is starting to shape streaming services too.
Games like Thursday Night Football now stream on Amazon Prime Video, which shows that the industry is shifting.
Streaming platforms want sports because they keep viewers watching live and keep subscribers paying each month.
That makes football even more valuable.
My Final Thoughts
I’m not saying football is a bad thing for television. In many ways, it might actually be helping keep traditional TV alive.
But at the same time, I can’t help but wonder how many great shows might be getting pushed aside because networks are chasing the guaranteed ratings that football brings.
The NFL didn’t set out to push TV shows off the air.
But when billions of dollars are involved, networks tend to follow the safest path.
And right now, that path runs straight through the end zone lol
