The NFL Is Doing Just Fine With Young Audiences

Despite narratives that the NFL’s empire is on the decline, the league looks well-positioned to remain the biggest force in American culture.

By John McDermott

The NFL’s cultural dominance is not going away anytime soon.

Despite media narratives suggesting the NFL’s sports and media empire is on the verge of a decline, the NFL remains popular across all age groups, according to a new analysis by media intelligence firm Samba.

The NFL’s share of U.S. households with young adults (ages 18 to 34) and children younger than 18 are (almost) perfectly in line with national averages, Samba finds. For households that watch NFL games exclusively through streaming services, the NFL’s share of young viewers is slightly above average.

Media prognosticators have for years speculated the NFL would struggle to maintain its position as the largest cultural force in the U.S. due to concerns about head trauma and declining participation rates for youth tackle football. Without a large base of young football fans, the league’s popularity would gradually wane, they predicted.

The NFL responded by heavily investing in flag football, which carries significantly less injury risk, and moving some of its marquee matchups to streaming services to reach younger cord-cutter audiences who don’t engage with linear television. Those efforts appear to be working. 

Don’t expect the NFL’s popularity to recede anytime soon.