The 20% Attendance Drop & NFL Streaming Wars: Are We Really Still the Best Fans, Seattle?

Alright, Emerald City, we gotta talk. Early numbers are hitting the wire, and some of it hits hard, especially for us who bleed green and blue. Regular season attendance is down a whopping 20% compared to last year. Twenty percent! That's a gut punch, and it's happening right when the big wigs are drawing lines in the sand over how we even watch our Seahawks games. What does this mean for our roar at Lumen Field, or the energy at T-Mobile Park as our Mariners chase every win?

The New Broadcast Game Is Wild

It's not just about showing up, it's about what we see, too. ESPN is "still eyeing Jason Kelce as a game analyst," and honestly, you know he'd bring that raw, honest take we crave. He's not gonna let American people "fall asleep" with bland analysis, that's for sure. Think about it: our general sports viewing landscape is already kinda wild. Giants-Cubs averaged 2.34 million viewers on Sunday, which is solid, but Alexander Zverev's win? Only averaged 1.3 million viewers across TNT and truTV. The numbers are all over the place, right? And let's not forget the big picture: Rupert Murdoch has "drawn a line in the sand" and is using "everything at his disposal to get the NFL to tread lightly" when it comes to selling more games to streamers. That's a huge deal for us 12s who want to catch every Sam Darnold pass, every Jaxon Smith-Njigba catch. We need to be able to access our games, period.

What Does "Fan" Even Mean Anymore?

With all this talk about viewership and attendance, it begs the question: "Who gets to decide who a real fan is?" We've all heard the "You're a disgrace" comments or the "You deserved everything you got" jabs when things aren't going our way. It's tough out there. Even in the NBA, "any time us old guys says something, y'all like, we old, 'get off my lawn' guys." There's a congressional hearing addressing the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961, which sounds super dry, but it's shaping the landscape we navigate as fans. Whether it's the roar for Julio Rodriguez at T-Mobile or the thunder for Joey Daccord at Climate Pledge, our dedication is real. We don't want to hear "I wish they get their ass kicked" about our teams, we want to celebrate. Grant Wahl's loss is still felt because of his "remarkable dedication into his craft," and that's the kind of dedication we bring to our teams every single game.

Look, "This is why we love sports." The drama, the passion, the shared experience. While the national trends might make us scratch our heads, whether it's the viewership for a tennis match or the behind-the-scenes power plays, our job as Seattle fans is simple: show up, be loud, and keep bleeding green and blue. The FIFA World Cup is kicking off "today" too, with both Canada and the United States debuting on FS1, Fox and Telemundo. The New York Times-owned outlet is even dropping its paywall for World Cup coverage through July 19, so there's plenty of action. An "USMNT legend is doing his homework as he develops his craft in the booth," which is awesome to see. Let's keep that spirit alive for every single Mariners game, every Sounders match, and every Seahawks battle. We're Seattle. We always show up.

DFS Pick'em

🏆 Underdog Fantasy: Play $5, Get $50 in Bonus Entries

Use code ONTAP to lock in this offer.

👉 Claim your $50 bonus on Underdog Fantasy

Sponsored. Must be 18+. Terms apply.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.