When the current contract between the NFL players union and management expires in March, the league stands to lose and estimated nine billion dollars if the players and management cannot come to terms on a new agreement. A lockout at this point would be a real disappointment on the heels of what has been one of the best years for the league both financially and in terms of audience.
According to Nielsen ratings information, the 2010 season has been the most viewed season on record, with a reported number of viewers just short of 208 million. Not only did the data indicate that there were record numbers of viewers. It also showed that the games themselves were the most-watched programs in the weekly ratings results.
In a recent report from the NFL network, the NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said that he would not take more than $1 in salary if there is indeed a work stoppage in the 2011 season. This is in stark contrast to the leader of the league’s base salary of about $2.9 million.