Not only did the Packers’ weak attempt to get the entire stadium to interlock arms during the anthem, flop. The ratings for Thursday Night Football crashed again, as more Americans decided they’d rather not be told how they’re ruining the world by a bunch of people who majored in checkers.
Green Bay came out on top, Thursday, with a final score of 35-14, with the Packers crushing the Chicago Bears at Lambeau Field amid weather delays and worries over protests during the playing of the national anthem, Deadline Hollywood reported.
While no player took a knee during the anthem at Lambeau, players did link arms during the song. Fans were also encouraged to link arms along with the players as the national anthem played.
The blowout on the field, and the continued anthem demonstrations, did not translate into good ratings for CBS.
The matchup brought CBS a 9.9/18, down 13 percent from last year’s Thursday Night Football opener.
Worse, last year’s ratings were down 27 percent from the numbers seen in 2015. So, this year’s opener is down 40 percent from 2015.
So far, as the league prepares for Week 4, ratings have not been stellar.
Sunday Night Football has seen some of its lowest numbers in decades, and ratings for Week 2 were down double-digits over ratings from 2016.
Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston.