The NFL's opening weekend saw fewer viewers than last year's season, with executives citing the two recent Hurricanes, Harvey and Irma, for the decline.

The figures show that viewers abandoned Thursday Night Football for Cable news channels and weather reports. 

The fall in viewership caused concern among NFL executives who rely on the large audiences to bring in substantial revenue through advertising, with the previous season drawing $4.2 billion in ad sales, according to Kantar Media and SMI Media Inc.

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