Despite fierce competition in the MVP race, this year’s NFL Honors struggled to attract viewers. The event, featuring Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen as the recipient of the Most Valuable Player award, managed to garner only 2.3 million viewers across Fox and NFL Network, marking a 20% decline from last year’s ceremony, where Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson won MVP with 2.9 million viewers. This also represents an 11% drop from the previous record low during the pandemic-affected NFL Honors in 2021, which had 2.6 million viewers.
According to data from Programming Insider, the NFL Honors faced stiff competition during prime time, losing to NBC shows like The Hunting Party and Law & Order: SVU, and CBS shows including George & Mandy’s First Marriage, Ghosts, Matlock, Elsbeth. However, it did outperform ABC’s offerings, which included Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Scamanda, and Perfect Wife: The Mysterious Disappearance of Sherri Papini.
In terms of sports competition on cable, the award show surpassed a Dallas Mavericks-Boston Celtics game on TNT, which had 1.81 million viewers, and a women’s college basketball game featuring Tennessee and UConn on ESPN that attracted 831,000 viewers. Furthermore, the NFL Network’s pre-show programming, showcasing red carpet coverage, drew 319,000 viewers, reflecting a 2% increase compared to last year’s red carpet numbers.
This year’s show faced several mishaps, including an incident where the on-screen graphic incorrectly identified the Defensive Player of the Year. Additionally, a teleprompter malfunction interrupted Justin Jefferson’s speech, highlighting production issues. Clearly, the extensive media discussions regarding the MVP did not resonate with viewers, and the questionable voting process among some voters further undermined the credibility of these awards in the eyes of fans.
Overall, these factors do not bode well for the future of NFL Honors as a televised event. However, it is important to note that for the NFL, the awards show remains a relatively minor concern in the grand scheme of its extensive television presence.
