OT: NHL TV ratings are terrible

[Sean Miller Fan]

NHL viewership on ESPN and TNT is looking truly dreadful

The NHL finds itself struggling in viewership, drawing dreadful audiences for regular season games last week.

awfulannouncing.com

Getting beat by women's basketball. I remember 5-10 years ago, we used to argue when I would say that soccer (world-class soccer, not the MLS) has already overtaken the NHL for the #4 pro sport spot in this country. That isn't even a debate any longer. The better debate is whether a crappy league like MLS or even the 2nd tier USL have passed the NHL. In MLS's case, the answer is probably yes. As for USL, the answer is not yet but some USL matches do outdraw NHL games.

 

[MorningCoffee13]

It’s still 4th based on revenue generated.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

It’s still 4th based on revenue generated.

If you are comparing it to MLS and the WNBA, sure, I guess but that's like the world's 20th best soccer league so it's not an apples to apples comparison. The American TV deal for the English Premier League is worth more per team than the American TV deal for the NHL and the EPL doesn't have the luxury of built-in home team markets since there obviously no American teams in the EPL.

 

[JD1976]

NHL viewership on ESPN and TNT is looking truly dreadful

The NHL finds itself struggling in viewership, drawing dreadful audiences for regular season games last week.

awfulannouncing.com

Getting beat by women's basketball. I remember 5-10 years ago, we used to argue when I would say that soccer (world-class soccer, not the MLS) has already overtaken the NHL for the #4 pro sport spot in this country. That isn't even a debate any longer. The better debate is whether a crappy league like MLS or even the 2nd tier USL have passed the NHL. In MLS's case, the answer is probably yes. As for USL, the answer is not yet but some USL matches do outdraw NHL games.

The NHL is very cyclical when it comes to its ratings success. This is also the dog days of the season when even diehards tune away. Plus, San Jose/Seattle on ESPN? I mean come on. Who at ESPN decided that would work?

Next week will be the true test for hockey on TV, the 4 Nations Face Off tournament. It’s the first best-on-best international hockey event during actual hockey season since the 2014 Olympics and the USA is the favorite (in my opinion). The US will have Auston Matthews, Jack Hughes and its other biggest stars together for the first time and Connor McDavid will be with Sid for Canada. Plus, Sweden and Finland are capable of winning with their rosters. There are games on ABC and ESPN prime time windows so those games will be true indicators of hockey ratings success.

 

[thebadby2]

NHL viewership on ESPN and TNT is looking truly dreadful

The NHL finds itself struggling in viewership, drawing dreadful audiences for regular season games last week.

awfulannouncing.com

Getting beat by women's basketball. I remember 5-10 years ago, we used to argue when I would say that soccer (world-class soccer, not the MLS) has already overtaken the NHL for the #4 pro sport spot in this country. That isn't even a debate any longer. The better debate is whether a crappy league like MLS or even the 2nd tier USL have passed the NHL. In MLS's case, the answer is probably yes. As for USL, the answer is not yet but some USL matches do outdraw NHL games.

Not in the 51st state!

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

The NHL is very cyclical when it comes to its ratings success. This is also the dog days of the season when even diehards tune away. Plus, San Jose/Seattle on ESPN? I mean come on. Who at ESPN decided that would work?

Next week will be the true test for hockey on TV, the 4 Nations Face Off tournament. It’s the first best-on-best international hockey event during actual hockey season since the 2014 Olympics and the USA is the favorite (in my opinion). The US will have Auston Matthews, Jack Hughes and its other biggest stars together for the first time and Connor McDavid will be with Sid for Canada. Plus, Sweden and Finland are capable of winning with their rosters. There are games on ABC and ESPN prime time windows so those games will be true indicators of hockey ratings success.

That's next week? I plan on watching that and I dont watch hockey at all. That's a really great idea and something the NBA should look into to replace the All-Star Game. Maybe even baseball too.

BTW, my other idea for the NBA All-Star game is this: NBA All-Stars vs NCAA All-Stars. The NBA should blow them out but not if they dont play hard and they will have to play hard to avoid losing to college kids. This would be a ratings bonanza.

 

[JD1976]

Yep, Four Nations runs Feb 12-20. Next Saturday night (the 15th), it’s USA/Canada on ABC at 8 p.m. If that’s not the most-watched network hockey game since the 2010 Gold Medal Game, I’d be severely disappointed.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

Yep, Four Nations runs Feb 12-20. Next Saturday night (the 15th), it’s USA/Canada on ABC at 8 p.m. If that’s not the most-watched network hockey game since the 2010 Gold Medal Game, I’d be severely disappointed.

It will be but I wouldn't say that it's a "true test" of hockey on TV. Americans watch "Team USA" regardless of the sport. The NHL needs better regular season numbers.

 

[happjack]

If you are comparing it to MLS and the WNBA, sure, I guess but that's like the world's 20th best soccer league so it's not an apples to apples comparison. The American TV deal for the English Premier League is worth more per team than the American TV deal for the NHL and the EPL doesn't have the luxury of built-in home team markets since there obviously no American teams in the EPL.

NHL teams all have local tv deals to go along with the national deals, can't really compare the two. A vast majority of American NHL fans only watch their team play, no one in Pittsburgh is watching the Sharks & Kraken, no one in St. Louis is watching the Pens vs. Utah Stormin Mormons, and so on.

 

[BreakingPitt]

Nothing to see here. NHL has always been driven by high priced gate receipts.
In fact
Next season the cap will rise by $7.5 million, then $8.5 million the year after, and another $9.5 million in 2027-28.
The league is just fine.

What will superstar contracts look like in NHL as salary cap spikes?

While it's debatable what will happen to the mid-to-lower tier class of players in the league, or how many teams will be able to push the upper limit of a sky-rocketing cap, it's a good bet that the superstars will rise with the tide.

www.sportsnet.ca

 

[ChiefJusticeMarshall]

Part of the issue is.........Sidney Crosby and the Pens were marketable, they are now at the end of their cycle. Some of the best players (McDavid, Draisatyl, Matthews, Hellebuyck, Schieffle) play for Canadian teams. The marketable players like Sid, Ovy, Stamkos, Kane, are old and past their primes. The Pens, Rangers, Blackhawks, Flyers, and now the Bruins are down. The Rangers are really a huge disappointment.

The league must be doing well because over the next 3 years the Cap is going UP 20% overall. That's a huge jump.

 

[pittchagg]

I couldn’t tell you when the last time I watched an NHL game was. When was the last Penguins/Flyers playoff series? Probably fhen. I remember walking to my office and seeing the Flyers team leaving the Fairmont downtown in the morning, and I watched the game that night.

 

[pittdan77]

Nothing to see here. NHL has always been driven by high priced gate receipts.
In fact
Next season the cap will rise by $7.5 million, then $8.5 million the year after, and another $9.5 million in 2027-28.
The league is just fine.

What will superstar contracts look like in NHL as salary cap spikes?

While it's debatable what will happen to the mid-to-lower tier class of players in the league, or how many teams will be able to push the upper limit of a sky-rocketing cap, it's a good bet that the superstars will rise with the tide.

www.sportsnet.ca

I can't think of a time when TV viewership was ever that good in the US. There are really only a handful of cities where TV works for hockey because it's not a good product for TV.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

NHL teams all have local tv deals to go along with the national deals, can't really compare the two. A vast majority of American NHL fans only watch their team play, no one in Pittsburgh is watching the Sharks & Kraken, no one in St. Louis is watching the Pens vs. Utah Stormin Mormons, and so on.

You CAN compare the 2 because there are a similar amount of nationally televised EPL games on NBC/USA as there are nationally televised hockey games on ESPN and TNT. I get that NHL teams also get local TV revenue and some teams may get a good number of viewers on their local sports network but that isn't something that you can compare to the EPL because American cities do not have EPL teams.

 

[BreakingPitt]

NHL I think after next season is going back to playoff format 1-8 instead of divisional format, which will be good , and needs to change dumbass OT rules.

 

[TheWerewolfFromTwilight]

Too many people have a difficult time seeing the puck. They need to bring back the glowing/streaking version of it that Fox used to offer.

 

[RJQ_56]

It's a niche sport...

 

[RJQ_56]

UFC and UFL should merge, and have a calcio storico league... guaranteed billions for the Idiocracy...

 

[Fk_Pitt]

That's next week? I plan on watching that and I dont watch hockey at all. That's a really great idea and something the NBA should look into to replace the All-Star Game. Maybe even baseball too.

BTW, my other idea for the NBA All-Star game is this: NBA All-Stars vs NCAA All-Stars. The NBA should blow them out but not if they dont play hard and they will have to play hard to avoid losing to college kids. This would be a ratings bonanza.

I believe the NFL champion played college all stars back in the early/mid 70’s before the pro bowl.

 

[Fk_Pitt]

It will be but I wouldn't say that it's a "true test" of hockey on TV. Americans watch "Team USA" regardless of the sport. The NHL needs better regular season numbers.

American sports fans aren’t the brightest. They’d rather watch an exhibition game because USA is on the chest.

 

[Richard A]

I believe the NFL champion played college all stars back in the early/mid 70’s before the pro bowl.

The NFL champions played the college all stars as the first exhibition game of the pre season. In fact the Steelers played in the final game in the mid 70’s. As I recall the game was called in the 3rd quarter because of a rain storm. The games were played in Chicago. The pro bowl was played after the Super Bowl.
Here’s another thing of the past. The NFL played the Runner Up Bowl after the championship game. The games were played in Orange Bowl in Miami. The 2nd place teams of each conference played. The last game was in either 62 or 63 between the Steelers and Detroit. It was the first game the Steelers wore black helmets. The Steelers lost the game.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

American sports fans aren’t the brightest. They’d rather watch an exhibition game because USA is on the chest.

That's me then because you couldn't pay me to watch hockey but I will watch USA vs those hosers up North. Lets put something on the line. We win, they become a state. They win, they can stay an independent country.

 

[MorningCoffee13]

If you are comparing it to MLS and the WNBA, sure, I guess but that's like the world's 20th best soccer league so it's not an apples to apples comparison. The American TV deal for the English Premier League is worth more per team than the American TV deal for the NHL and the EPL doesn't have the luxury of built-in home team markets since there obviously no American teams in the EPL.

Yes. They are below EPL but ahead of every other league in the world. So world wide hockey is 5th behind NFL, NBA, MLB and EPL.

 

[Richard A]

It's a niche sport...

Hockey is a niche sport and you have to be really into it. I know a lot of people can’t follow the puck. During the season I watch all of the Pens games but not too much of the other teams until the playoffs start then I usually watch most of the games. Hardest sport to win it all.

 

[MorningCoffee13]

From an evaluation of revenues across sports.

“The NHL has always been the fourth league in the USA and has recently experienced changes in its fan profile. The main audience for hockey is 35-44 years old, much younger than older generations. With actions on social media and strong digital engagement, the league has grown significantly among younger audiences and women. Currently, 37% of fans are women, and the second most relevant target now is 18-34 years old.”

This board sounds like the old story of a person who lived in Greenwich village during the Nixon-McGovern race. After Nixon swamped McG a female resident was purported to say “I can’t believe McGovern lost. All my friends voted for him. “

So a lot of people on this board live in a “hockey bad” silo. Just ain’t true.

 

[Richard A]

From an evaluation of revenues across sports.

“The NHL has always been the fourth league in the USA and has recently experienced changes in its fan profile. The main audience for hockey is 35-44 years old, much younger than older generations. With actions on social media and strong digital engagement, the league has grown significantly among younger audiences and women. Currently, 37% of fans are women, and the second most relevant target now is 18-34 years old.”

This board sounds like the old story of a person who lived in Greenwich village during the Nixon-McGovern race. After Nixon swamped McG a female resident was purported to say “I can’t believe McGovern lost. All my friends voted for him. “

So a lot of people on this board live in a “hockey bad” silo. Just ain’t true.

One reason why women follow hockey it’s easy to watch. What I mean is, and I told my wife many years ago, you only need to know icing and off sides. The refs will tell you the penalties.

 

[BigChungus90210]

How does the NHL do in the other big hockey countries like Sweden, Finland, Russia, etc.? I know they have their own leagues but it's minor league relatively speaking.

 

[Las Panteras]

McDavid in Edmonton hurts. The league is better served if he was in a media market or at the very least an original 6 team

Atlanta needs a team WITH EFFECTIVE COMPETENT MANAGEMENT

The playoff format should be changed so that in early rounds western teams are playing in the East.

When the playoffs get here, anyone watching in the most populated sections of the country go to sleep and miss the western games.

Finally, more camera work from down low and especially behind the goalie. The speed of the game is what blows away first timers. Give em more of that.

 

[pittdan77]

How does the NHL do in the other big hockey countries like Sweden, Finland, Russia, etc.? I know they have their own leagues but it's minor league relatively speaking.

I think pro sports in Europe runs mostly off of people showing up to watch.

Edit: EPL might be one exception but you have these little cities with teams that are lower tier and have dedicated fan bases.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

Yes. They are below EPL but ahead of every other league in the world. So world wide hockey is 5th behind NFL, NBA, MLB and EPL.

From an evaluation of revenues across sports.

“The NHL has always been the fourth league in the USA and has recently experienced changes in its fan profile. The main audience for hockey is 35-44 years old, much younger than older generations. With actions on social media and strong digital engagement, the league has grown significantly among younger audiences and women. Currently, 37% of fans are women, and the second most relevant target now is 18-34 years old.”

This board sounds like the old story of a person who lived in Greenwich village during the Nixon-McGovern race. After Nixon swamped McG a female resident was purported to say “I can’t believe McGovern lost. All my friends voted for him. “

So a lot of people on this board live in a “hockey bad” silo. Just ain’t true.

Would anyone disagree? The NHL is still probably ahead of MLS and the WNBA but is that something to brag about. The MLS is not a good soccer league and the WNBA is only starting to get popular. The NHL is making money, I am sure, and the league is healthy. I am merely pointing out that not many Americans watch it on TV. Pitt and Boston College make more from their national TV deals than the Penguins and Bruins. That says something.

 

[ChiefJusticeMarshall]

McDavid in Edmonton hurts. The league is better served if he was in a media market or at the very least an original 6 team

Atlanta needs a team WITH EFFECTIVE COMPETENT MANAGEMENT

The playoff format should be changed so that in early rounds western teams are playing in the East.

When the playoffs get here, anyone watching in the most populated sections of the country go to sleep and miss the western games.

Finally, more camera work from down low and especially behind the goalie. The speed of the game is what blows away first timers. Give em more of that.

Not to mention, he is an introvert. Not that Sid was this big personality, but he has been at ease in front of cameras and writers since he was 14. And then you had his ying to his yang in Ovechkin, who did have a big personality, they played in the same division and that rivalry helped the NHL come out of the lockout.

 

[happjack]

The NFL champions played the college all stars as the first exhibition game of the pre season. In fact the Steelers played in the final game in the mid 70’s. As I recall the game was called in the 3rd quarter because of a rain storm. The games were played in Chicago. The pro bowl was played after the Super Bowl.
Here’s another thing of the past. The NFL played the Runner Up Bowl after the championship game. The games were played in Orange Bowl in Miami. The 2nd place teams of each conference played. The last game was in either 62 or 63 between the Steelers and Detroit. It was the first game the Steelers wore black helmets. The Steelers lost the game.

Then NFL's Playoff Bowl aka Bert Bell Bowl ran from the 1960 season to the 1969 season.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

Then NFL's Playoff Bowl aka Bert Bell Bowl ran from the 1960 season to the 1969 season.

I think they should bring that back and award something super significat like $1 million per NFL player if they win. The college kids will be going full tilt so the NFL dudes would either have to opt out or be full-go. No half-assing it like in Pro Bowls of yesteryear. Given the growth of college football. An NFL vs NCAA game would almost be as big as the Super Bowl. Who wouldn't watch that?

 

[MorningCoffee13]

Would anyone disagree? The NHL is still probably ahead of MLS and the WNBA but is that something to brag about. The MLS is not a good soccer league and the WNBA is only starting to get popular. The NHL is making money, I am sure, and the league is healthy. I am merely pointing out that not many Americans watch it on TV. Pitt and Boston College make more from their national TV deals than the Penguins and Bruins. That says something.

They are quite far ahead of MLS in terms of revenue and less than a billion below EPL.

You are barking up wrong tree.

 

[Richard A]

Then NFL's Playoff Bowl aka Bert Bell Bowl ran from the 1960 season to the 1969 season.

Ok I couldn’t Remember when it ended. I was in college then and back then we didn’t have a tv where I lived. Went to a bar to watch sports. However since bars were closed on Sundays never saw any Super Bowls back then. How times have changed. Thanks for the info though.

 

[Richard A]

McDavid in Edmonton hurts. The league is better served if he was in a media market or at the very least an original 6 team

Atlanta needs a team WITH EFFECTIVE COMPETENT MANAGEMENT

The playoff format should be changed so that in early rounds western teams are playing in the East.

When the playoffs get here, anyone watching in the most populated sections of the country go to sleep and miss the western games.

Finally, more camera work from down low and especially behind the goalie. The speed of the game is what blows away first timers. Give em more of that.

Atlanta lost teams twice NHL won’t bother a 3rd time. I agree with a lot of what you said.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

They are quite far ahead of MLS in terms of revenue and less than a billion below EPL.

You are barking up wrong tree.

The comparison to the EPL isn't fair because we are comparing the EPL's American revenue, which is probably 1/100 of their revenue to the NHL's American revenue which is most of it.

As for MLS, attendance is higher than NHL but they have bigger stadiums and half the home games so its not apples to apples. Again, you are comparing far and away the world's #1 hockey league to maybe the 20th best soccer league in the world.

 

[MorningCoffee13]

The comparison to the EPL isn't fair because we are comparing the EPL's American revenue, which is probably 1/100 of their revenue to the NHL's American revenue which is most of it.

As for MLS, attendance is higher than NHL but they have bigger stadiums and half the home games so its not apples to apples. Again, you are comparing far and away the world's #1 hockey league to maybe the 20th best soccer league in the world.

Nope. That was world wide revenue. Not just United States.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

Nope. That was world wide revenue. Not just United States.

You are seriously going to tell me that the NHL makes more overall revenue than the EPL? That's the craziest thing I've ever heard. The EPL probably makes more in jersey sales than the NHL makes from all sources.

 

[12162022]

It’s still 4th based on revenue generated.

Overpriced tickets? jk