Ratings up, future bright: NFL rebounds from troubled seasons

The most compelling drama in the NFL this season unfolded on the field, not off it. And any thought that the league was in jeopardy of losing its spot as America’s favorite sport has been set on the back burner, which is mostly where the domestic abuse cases, national anthem controversies and even the concerns about player safety resided for the bulk of the season.

To be sure, 2019 was far from perfect. Antonio Brown, a handful of overmatched officials and even a cameo appearance by Colin Kaepernick kept a spotlight on the warts the league is still carrying. But for the better part of the season, the stickiest topics have included play on the field: QBturned-pitchman Baker Mayfield and his overrated Browns, the underachieving Cowboys and the possible end of the Patriots’ dynasty, to say nothing of a legion of rising young stars. That group is led by QB Patrick Mahomes, who brought the Chiefs to the Super Bowl to face the 49ers, the team trying to complete the NFL’s version of a fairy tale by going from 4-12 to hoisting the Lombardi Trophy in the span of a year.

The ever-expanding U.S. gambling landscape, the continued strength of fantasy football, the league’s steady growth in other countries — along with a fair share of good games placed in the correct time slots and made available on a growing number of platforms — also played roles in keeping eyes focused on the games. It all helps explain the NFL’s back-to-back 5% TV ratings increases, two straight years with an uptick after a twoyear stretch (2016-17) during which the NFL’s status as the king of American sports took a hit.