The gist is similar key take away was it was the lowest rated year since NBC had rights, you can put lipstick on a pig so many ways or throw cheese on a turd sandwich so many ways its still a turd. It's PR spin 101: find a positive out of bad news and hope you can focus the customers on that positive. This isn't the merely mixed result headline. Most of us tracking this years numbers knew this would be the lowest rated year for sometime when the NBC numbers were down (main ratings driver) The main news was this was the lowest NBC rated season since NBC has done business with the league a "low first" similar to MLB's situation and as Paulsen stated here.
New ESPN-MLB deal includes very few games
"ESPN’s MLB deal effectively marks the end of regular weekday baseball on the network. Most of those weeknight games either co-existed with RSN coverage in participating markets or were blacked out entirely. Per SBJ, MLB is shopping around those weeknight rights and a deal with a digital media company could be announced in the coming weeks. In addition, Turner’s new deal includes a regular Tuesday night slate starting next season."
Point is as I said similar to MLB with ESPN there was a lot of P/R spin to mask bad info. This shouldn't be a revelation or worth debating further as it is what it is I was simply pointing out Olbermann's wit e.g ESPN's P/R spin replying to your post. There's no need to start this whole hurt pride back in forth we are all NHL fans here in a safe space discussing TV ratings. No need to name call "trolls" etc all though some deserve that name more than others from their past cherry picked comparison posting history I've seen. We are also all sports fans in the US/Canada (most of us) and also follow other US leagues closely. So there will be cross comparisons and points made when cross comparisons are made.
I agree but you have to keep an apples to apples comparisons. I am an MLS/Soccer fan and I even I can't see major growth in that league - granted they have some expansion franchises come in and create new fans sure - but I have seen that with the NHL in the past too and then they play bad. The growth I have saw with MLS were when they brought in Beckham/Older players with name value but that evaporated now. Franchises like TFC/Seattle/Atlanta/New LA franchise are having success but it's not NHL levels in terms of revenue. I'd be curious to see how the Kraken will impact the sounders as they became the default 3rd team Seattle right after the sonics left.
I remember Don Garber in the 2000s talk about slow and steady expansion and used to say other leagues (hinted at NHL many times) who expanded to quick; yet since that they have expanded by like 20 teams lol. The quality of play has been diluted in my opinion and it was never great to begin with. Ibrahimovic came out and said he is a Ferrari amongst Fiats while he was in the MLS. Countless European stars have said the quality is no good.
Until the MLS starts to attract real stars from europe in their prime the league is going to be nothing but a play toy for owners (some who want a second tenant in their football stadiums). I see the league as a fancy version of the USL