Parity drives fan interest. It’s been proven over and over and as much as people want to believe stars like Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers and Adrian Peterson are the leading factors to driving and retaining fan interest, parity continues to reign supreme.

The intoxicating lure of close games and unpredictable outcomes keeps fans interested and engaged, not to mention millions of dollars in additional advertising revenue as a result of higher and more stable ratings.

And NFL executives must be thrilled with single-game parity in 2016, with an average of 7.7 games decided by a touchdown or less each week:

131 games decided by 7 points or fewer this season is most in @NFL history

— Michael Signora (@NFLfootballinfo) January 4, 2016

[Michael Signora]

Photo: Andrew Weber/Getty Images

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