Ratings for the NFL’s season opener on Thursday night fell 8 percent from last year’s opener — to their lowest level in a decade.

The decline came even after the TV audience for last year’s opener declined 19 percent from 2016’s opener, statistics out Friday revealed.

The “Thursday Night Football” telecast on NBC, delayed 45 minutes due to severe weather in the Philadelphia area, averaged a 13.4 overnight rating.

That made it the lowest season opener in 10 years, according to Sports Media Watch — and breathed new life into fears about the NFL being unable to extricate itself from a structural decline.


Lowest in ten years. I didn’t watch the game either but I’ll probably still watch the patriots play if given the chance