Here's One Indication The NFL Is Still As Popular As Ever

Despite concerns of poor TV ratings throughout the 2016 NFL season, new attendance data from Statista suggest the league could be more popular than ever. The 2016–2017 NFL season saw 17.79 million fans attend games, a 3 percent increase year-over-year and the highest total in over nine years.

Of the 32 teams in the league, the Dallas Cowboys had the highest attendance with 740,318, far outpacing every other franchise. The lowest attendance came from the San Diego Chargers and Oakland Raiders — not surprising, with both franchises having threatened to leave their hometowns throughout the season.

While the league did see a rise in attendance at games, NFL viewership fell in nearly all demographics and regions in 2016. The Wild Card playoff matchups saw viewership decline as much as 17 percent compared to last year.

This year's Super Bowl in Houston will be the ultimate gauge if viewership is actually down on the year, and with the election over, ratings will largely be driven by matchups from here on out.