Why are NFL ratings up this season while other TV programs are down?

The Hollywood Reporter

Viewership for NFL games is up 3% this year. "What happened?" asks Rick Porter. "Explanations for the rebound range from more exciting play on the field — scoring and other offensive metrics have boomed in the past season-plus — to the presence of high-profile young quarterbacks like Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs and Baker Mayfield of the Cleveland Browns to the NFL no longer being the culture-war battleground that it became in 2016 and 2017 thanks to Colin Kaepernick." Meanwhile, reigning NFL MVP Mahomes, one of the game's most exciting players, was sidelined Thursday night due to a serious knee injury.