OT: NHL Playoffs

[ChiefJusticeMarshall]

I wonder what the ratings are going to be like. Look at the markets not involved vs involved.

You got 3 of the biggest, most established markets out in NYR, Detroit, Boston and Chicago. You got two of the most passionate and established fanbases in the Pens and Flyers out. Nashville really emerged as a good market and they are out. Buffalo is passionate and they are out.

Granted, you got Toronto and Montreal, but they are Canadian, so you get no local bumps.

You do have the Caps and Ovi. The Devils really are the third team in the NY market by far. Tampa is established. But Florida and Carolina are stull "meh".

LA is in, but other than the people who actually go to the games, who watches the Kings? Save with Vegas. Colorado is established.

Then you got three fairly small Canadian markets in Winnipeg., Ottawa and Edmonton.

 

[BigChungus90210]

Probably not great. As you said, the major Canadian markets watch regardless and the American teams that're missing is borderline disastrous (I'll add Boston in there as well).

The Pens have a pretty big die hard following, but how many die hard hockey fans are there in Pittsburgh? I love Pens playoff games but I'd be surprised if I ended up watching for more than an hour total of this entire playoff.

 

[ChiefJusticeMarshall]

Probably not great. As you said, the major Canadian markets watch regardless and the American teams that're missing is borderline disastrous (I'll add Boston in there as well).

The Pens have a pretty big die hard following, but how many die hard hockey fans are there in Pittsburgh? I love Pens playoff games but I'd be surprised if I ended up watching for than an hour total of this entire playoff.

Of course. I inadvertently left out Boston. Fixed.

 

[Phillypanther2]

Yeah, I would think ratings will be down some because of the teams not in the playoffs.
I actually watched some of the games the last 3 days, and I was reminded again how far away the Penguins are from competing for a Stanley Cup. The Pens are smaller, slower, and older, than even the teams that barely made it in. They SO need to stock-pile draft picks (even more so than they already have) and do a complete rebuild.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

I wonder what the ratings are going to be like. Look at the markets not involved vs involved.

You got 3 of the biggest, most established markets out in NYR, Detroit, Boston and Chicago. You got two of the most passionate and established fanbases in the Pens and Flyers out. Nashville really emerged as a good market and they are out. Buffalo is passionate and they are out.

Granted, you got Toronto and Montreal, but they are Canadian, so you get no local bumps.

You do have the Caps and Ovi. The Devils really are the third team in the NY market by far. Tampa is established. But Florida and Carolina are stull "meh".

LA is in, but other than the people who actually go to the games, who watches the Kings? Save with Vegas. Colorado is established.

Then you got three fairly small Canadian markets in Winnipeg., Ottawa and Edmonton.

ESPN has been very good for the NHL. Say what you want about ESPN but people watch the heck out of it. Last year's horrific (for American TV audiences) Edmonton vs Florida final got tremendous ratings.

2024 Stanley Cup Final Game 7 Viewership Averaged 7.7 Million Viewers, Up 182% Versus Last Year’s Stanley Cup Final Clincher

The 2024 Stanley Cup Final on ABC, ESPN+ and ESPN Deportes came to a close Monday night with the Florida Panthers defeating the Edmonton Oilers in a closely contested Game 7, ending with the Panthers hoisting the Stanley Cup for the first time in franchise history.

espnpressroom.com

 

[Burgh15]

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

View embedded media

The first 2 games are far worse (for American audiences) than the 2 from last year. New Jersey had no fans at all. They consistently rank in the bottom 5 in the league in local TV ratings. New Jersey residents are Rangers fans. Surprising that Min/LV was down from Nash/Van. Maybe a channel difference?

 

[BigChungus90210]

The first 2 games are far worse (for American audiences) than the 2 from last year. New Jersey had no fans at all. They consistently rank in the bottom 5 in the league in local TV ratings. New Jersey residents are Rangers fans. Surprising that Min/LV was down from Nash/Van. Maybe a channel difference?

I don't know if Nashville hosted those particular games or not, but being located in the eastern time zone probably helps overall series viewership since the games on at a more reasonable time for the majority of the population.

 

[pittdan77]

The first 2 games are far worse (for American audiences) than the 2 from last year. New Jersey had no fans at all. They consistently rank in the bottom 5 in the league in local TV ratings. New Jersey residents are Rangers fans. Surprising that Min/LV was down from Nash/Van. Maybe a channel difference?

Yeah, Colorado and Winnipeg have a huge following with the diehards. Also, pretending that the Devils don't have a decent fan base is pretty wild.

 

[BreakingPitt]

I'm pulling for the Maple Leafs to finally get the monkey off their back.

Don't really like any of the other teams .

 

[USN_Panther]

I'm pulling for the Maple Leafs to finally get the monkey off their back.

Don't really like any of the other teams .

Yeah, I would like the Leafs advance at least one round. But I just can't get over why they are not the "Maple Leaves".

I am looking forward to the rest of the Habs vs Caps and Kings vs Oilers tonight.

Landeskog is playing tonight for the Avs vs the Stars.

And Florida vs TB is going to be a good series.

Lots of intriguing hockey and it's only the first round.

 

[USN_Panther]

Will be interesting to see how Landeskog plays after being out nearly 3 years.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

Yeah, Colorado and Winnipeg have a huge following with the diehards. Also, pretending that the Devils don't have a decent fan base is pretty wild.

Do you have to be wrong about everything? I dont know if you do this on purpose or what? The Devils have arguably the smallest fanbase in the NHL. Yes, they draw fairly well I guess, but that's essentially all the fans they have. They are similar to an MLS team in that their only fans are the ones who go to their games and no one in their local market watches them on TV.

This is a little dated, from 2021, but they ranked tied with Arizona for the worst local TV ratings and Arizona despises hockey.

Not Exactly Breaking News, but Flyers TV Ratings Took a Humongous Hit

John Ourand and David Broughton parsed NHL ratings data at the Sports Business Journal: The NHL’s local TV story took a hit this season, as regular-season games on U.S. RSNs posted a 23% ratings drop compared to last year’s shortened season, according to Nielsen data analyzed by my SBJ colleague...

www.crossingbroad.com

 

[pittdan77]

Do you have to be wrong about everything? I dont know if you do this on purpose or what? The Devils have arguably the smallest fanbase in the NHL. Yes, they draw fairly well I guess, but that's essentially all the fans they have. They are similar to an MLS team in that their only fans are the ones who go to their games and no one in their local market watches them on TV.

This is a little dated, from 2021, but they ranked tied with Arizona for the worst local TV ratings and Arizona despises hockey.

Not Exactly Breaking News, but Flyers TV Ratings Took a Humongous Hit

John Ourand and David Broughton parsed NHL ratings data at the Sports Business Journal: The NHL’s local TV story took a hit this season, as regular-season games on U.S. RSNs posted a 23% ratings drop compared to last year’s shortened season, according to Nielsen data analyzed by my SBJ colleague...

www.crossingbroad.com

I don't know. Somehow they managed 97% capacity this year. Like 1,500 per game less than the Rangers and their gigantic fan base. In a super saturated market, I'd say that's pretty good.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

I don't know. Somehow they managed 97% capacity this year. Like 1,500 per game less than the Rangers and their gigantic fan base. In a super saturated market, I'd say that's pretty good.

Reread my post. The fans they do have go to their games. Let me ask you this, how do you explain their absolutely horrific local TV ratings? Could it be, I don't know, that they have a really small fanbase and not enough people are interested in watching them on TV? The Devils also benefit from traveling fan attendance, being located in an area where there are plenty of fans of other teams who have moved to the area and live within an hour of Newark/NYC.

 

[pittdan77]

Reread my post. The fans they do have go to their games. Let me ask you this, how do you explain their absolutely horrific local TV ratings? Could it be, I don't know, that they have a really small fanbase and not enough people are interested in watching them on TV? The Devils also benefit from traveling fan attendance, being located in an area where there are plenty of fans of other teams who have moved to the area and live within an hour of Newark/NYC.

Okay. Let's pull a couple of gems out of that post.

New Jersey had no fans at all.

New Jersey residents are Rangers fans.

Yeah, I don't know what I missed. The Devils game was the most watched of the three games, too.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

Okay. Let's pull a couple of gems out of that post.


Yeah, I don't know what I missed. The Devils game was the most watched of the three games, too.

I don't know how you think you are proving the Devils have a large fanbase. Their local TV ratings are terrible. That's a pretty good judge of a fanbase. You lost. Move on.

 

[Las Panteras]

I still think the playoffs should be formatted so that western conference teams play Eastern teams early in the playoffs.

I (and many like me), watch the first games....and dont stay up to watch Colorado, San Jose, Vegas, Etc.

It is in the league's best interest...at the best time of the season, to make it convenient to show all the teams to the entire country.

 

[pittdan77]

I don't know how you think you are proving the Devils have a large fanbase. Their local TV ratings are terrible. That's a pretty good judge of a fanbase. You lost. Move on.

Large?

Also, pretending that the Devils don't have a decent fan base is pretty wild.

Never said large. Said decent. You said "no fans". Go run that victory lap in your mind but your reading comprehension skills still suck.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

Large?

Never said large. Said decent. You said "no fans". Go run that victory lap in your mind but your reading comprehension skills still suck.

Have you heard of sarcasm? Of course they have greater than 0 fans. Its also, arguably, the smallest fanbase in the NHL and certainly one of the smallest.

 

[pittdan77]

Have you heard of sarcasm? Of course they have greater than 0 fans. Its also, arguably, the smallest fanbase in the NHL and certainly one of the smallest.

That isn't sarcasm. Sarcasm is more satirical and mocking. You were doing hyperbole. Geez.

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

Yeah, I would like the Leafs advance at least one round. But I just can't get over why they are not the "Maple Leaves".

I think it would be best if the Leaves win tonight to take a 3-0 lead, and then lose the next four in a row.

The meltdown from their fans would be epic.