New Stars\, Fading Anthem Controversy Lift NFL Ratings

New Stars, Fading Anthem Controversy Lift NFL Ratings

Viewership is up for the first time since 2015 as the season features more scoring than ever and more close games in decades

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National Football League TV ratings are up for the first time since 2015, an improvement NFL and television executives attribute to new stars, a fading national-anthem controversy and a much-needed distraction from the political divisiveness shaking the country.

Five weeks into the season, the average TV audience for a game is 15.6 million, up 3% compared with the same period a year ago, according to Nielsen. Ratings remain 16% lower than in the first five weeks of the 2015 season.

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