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Want to save the NFL? Get your brand off the field

With the election behind us, the NFL can't continue to pretend Donald and Hillary were the only ones distracting from the game

From Campaign US: Given the spectacle that was this year’s presidential election, it was easy for any network to blame a ratings slump on Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. And to a point, it was true: No series, particularly “Sunday Night Football” on NBC (which aired against the second presidential debate on Oct. 9), walked away unscathed. But there are far more troubling—and persistent—reasons why ratings for the NFL this season have sprung a leak.

By the numbers, the reported total viewer slippage for football versus last year at this time (through the end of October, and according to Nielsen) is 18% for “Thursday Night Football” and 24% for “Monday Night Football.” Once the top-rated series in all of primetime, “Sunday Night Football” now ranks third (behind “The Big Bang Theory” and “NCIS,” both on CBS) with 17.51 million viewers, and a loss of 25% year-to-year. Last year at this time it was averaging 23.27 million viewers, which was 17% more than No. 2 “Big Bang Theory.”

So, what exactly happened? For more at Campaign US, click here