Last year, the NFL’s declining ratings, in the face of zombie hordes, presidential campaign fatigue, and general public indifference (along with, maybe, a touch of political protest), dominated much of the early-season conversation. Ratings rebounded as the year wore on, however, and the Super Bowl pulled in its usual nine-figure viewer total. But now we’re seeing the reverberations of that ratings slip, as well as other indications of a break in the ever-increasing ad market, and the news isn’t ideal for the NFL and its broadcast partners. Ad Age reports that preseason ad spending is the softest since the 2008 ... (full story)