AP The trend continues to not be the friend of the NFL. The 2018 season unofficially began with the Hall of Fame game, and the TV audience for both of the major HOF weekend tentpoles dropped in comparison to 2017. According to Austin Karp of SportsBusiness Journal, Thursday night’s Hall of Fame game between the Bears and Ravens register 6.78 million viewers. That’s a 17.8-percent decline from last year’s Cowboys-Cardinals game (8.25 million), and the smallest broadcast audience since 1998, when 6.3 million watched the Buccaneers and the Steelers on ABC. The total audience for Saturday night’s enshrinement ceremony, simulcast on ESPN and NFL Network, dropped from 1.18 million to 1.17 million. While the difference is negligible, the 2018 class should have driven more eyes and ears. Maybe it would have if Terrell Owens had shown up. There’s a very long way to go in the 2018 season, but the issue of TV ratings will continue to be an issue for the NFL. Although most of the the money from the networks remains set in stone for the next half of a decade, it the ratings keep dropping (regardless of the reasons) the dynamic inevitably will impact the league’s revenues.<doc-sep>Ladies and gentleman, after six months of waiting, football is finally back. Sure, it's a preseason game and you probably won't recognize roughly 50 percent of the players on the field, but it is football and there will be plenty of things to watch for when the Ravens battle the Bears in Canton, Ohio on Thursday night. For one, there's a good chance that we're going to get our first look at Lamar Jackson. Although the Ravens have made it clear that Joe Flacco will be the team's starting quarterback this season, Flacco likely won't be playing against the Bears, which means we should see a heavy dose of Jackson and his electrifying skills. During an interview this week, Jackson sounded a lot like he was expecting to play. The first-round pick said he wanted to use the Hall of Fame game to prove to America that he's "a quarterback." "And just show the growth from college to my new chapter," Jackson said. Besides Jackson, the Ravens also have another intriguing option at quarterback in Robert Griffin III, who you might remember more as the the last quarterback to lead the Browns to a win. Although we'll likely see both of those players in action, Ravens coach John Harbaugh wouldn't reveal any details about who he plans to play in the game, despite knowing exactly who he plans to play. "We have that set," Harbaugh said of the QB plans for the Hall of Fame game, via the AP. "I never really talk about that. We just go do it. But we have the quarterback rotation set, and then we'll organize the rest of it ... There'll be some guys who won't play in that game, probably you might guess the guys who haven't practiced as much that first week." So why should you be excited for the Hall of Fame game? Because Aston Kutcher's excited. If that doesn't get you to watch, nothing will. Here's your TV and streaming information. How to watch What: Baltimore Ravens vs. Chicago Bears Baltimore Ravens vs. Chicago Bears When: Thursday, Aug. 2, 8 p.m. ET Thursday, Aug. 2, 8 p.m. ET Where: Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, Canton, Ohio Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, Canton, Ohio TV: NBC Play-by-play: Al Michaels Color analyst: Cris Collinsworth NBC Bet all your money on the Ravens? The return of football doesn't just mean the return of football this year, it also means you'll be getting your first chance to gamble on football since the Supreme Court paved the way in June for legalized gambling across the country. With multiple states now accepting NFL bets, people can wager on anything and everything, including preseason football. If you're thinking on putting some money down on this game, history says you should probably go with the Ravens, who are currently a 2-point favorite. Not only have the Ravens won eight straight preseason games, but they've also covered in nine straight games dating back to their preseason finale in 2015. Of course, if you're not quite sold on the Ravens, we understand. So which side of Bears-Ravens is a must-back? Visit SportsLine now to see Hammerin' Hank Goldberg's Hall of Fame Game pointspread pick, all from the handicapping legend coming off another wildly profitable NFL season! Why Ravens vs. Bears Finally, if you're wondering why the Bears and Ravens were picked to play in the Hall of Fame game, there's an answer for that. The NFL generally picks two teams that both have a connection to Hall of Fame weekend, which made Chicago and Baltimore the perfect choices for 2018. Not only will the two teams be squaring off Thursday, but if fans stick around, they'll be able to see one former legend from each team enshrined into the Hall of Fame on Saturday. For the Bears that will be linebacker Brian Urlacher. For the Ravens, that will be Ray Lewis.<doc-sep>Ratings for the NFL Hall of Fame Game and induction ceremony, crashed to lows not seen since 1998. According to Pro Football Talk via Austin Karp of Sports Business Journal: Thursday night’s Hall of Fame game between the Bears and Ravens register 6.78 million viewers. That’s a 17.8-percent decline from last year’s Cowboys-Cardinals game, and the smallest broadcast audience since 1998, when 6.3 million watched the Buccaneers and the Steelers. The total audience for Saturday night’s enshrinement ceremony, simulcast on ESPN and NFL Network, dropped from 1.18 million to 1.17 million. While the difference is negligible, the 2018 class should have driven more eyes and ears. Granted, the Cowboys will always draw a larger audience than teams like the Ravens and Bears. However, that doesn’t explain a nearly 18% drop in ratings. Also concerning is that ratings for the ceremony were down, despite the fact that popular players who have become media personalities, like Randy Moss, Ray Lewis, and Brian Urlacher, were among those getting inducted. While Hall of Fame weekend ratings probably shouldn’t be viewed as an indicator of future television numbers, the fact that the NFL’s trend of dismal TV numbers is continuing, should definitely be of concern. Follow Dylan Gwinn on Twitter @themightygwinn<doc-sep>
The Chicago Bears will meet the Baltimore Ravens in the 2018 NFL Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio, on Thursday, Aug. 2. Pro Football Hall of Fame events will continue over the next few days, with the Enshrinement Ceremony on the evening of Saturday, Aug. 4. While football fans will be excited the NFL is back, don't expect to see a lot of starters. Tonight's extra preseason contest usually gives low draftees, non-draftees and guys trying to catch on an additional chance to show their stuff. Here's what you need to know to watch: What: Bears vs. Ravens in the 2018 NFL Hall of Fame Game When: Thursday, Aug. 2, 2018 Time: 8 p.m. Eastern / 7 p.m. Central Where: Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio TV: NBC Livestream: NBC Sports Live or fuboTV (free trial) Game preview: The Bears are installing a new offense under first-year coach Matt Nagy. Chicago's second-year quarterback, Mitchell Trubisky, will be taking his first major steps running the new scheme Nagy brought from Kansas City. He seems unconcerned that the second overall pick in the 2017 draft will be overmatched -- even though Trubisky has been an interception machine in practices. "Our guys have picked up everything that we've asked them to do," Nagy said. "There have been mistakes, but they're way ahead of the learning curve. So that's exciting and it tells me that once we get to the regular season we can do more than I initially thought. But we will be growing throughout the season." As for the Ravens, don't look for Joe Flacco in this one. Few if any of the Ravens' starters at the offensive skill positions are likely to get much action tonight. The Hall of Fame game will provide an opportunity for Baltimore coach John Harbaugh and his staff to look at first-round draft pick Lamar Jackson and veteran Robert Griffin III, who is attempting a comeback after not playing last year. "We have that set," Harbaugh said of the QB plans for the Hall of Fame game. "I never really talk about that. We just go do it. But we have the quarterback rotation set, and then we'll organize the rest of it ... There'll be some guys who won't play in that game, probably you might guess the guys who haven't practiced as much that first week." Information from The Associated Press. fuboTV is a paid affiliate of Advance Local Media LLC. Advance Local Media LLC may receive compensation if you access the fuboTV service through the link above.