How popular is the NHL?

[Filthy Dangles]

The idea that Hockey and NHL could be as popular as basketball/NBA and Football/NFL if not for NHL's "marketing" is f***ing dumb to me. I don't care how popular it is either way.

I enjoy it being less mainstream because it's easier to go to and enjoy games. When the Islanders were iirelevant 7-8 years ago I was able to buy a $20 GA ticket and move really close to ice level because no one was there. Got to see really up close look at the best in the world, I would have to spend hundreds/thousands of dollars to do that at a basketball/football game no matter the team.

Same with the Panthers at BB an T center. Really good seats for cheap. Not a lot of people around to bother you. no crazy long lines for food/beer/restrooms.

 

[Czechboy]

It's a tiny sport dominated by 5 countries.

 

[bacon25]

Why do these myths continue?


The NHL is the 4th most watched sport in the USA, though it sometimes flips with soccer for 5th depending on the year. Nascar/car racing is 9th.

Top 10 Most Popular Sports in America 2021 (TV Ratings)

Top-10 Most Popular Sports In America 2021 | SportyTell

What are the 5 most popular sports in the USA? | STATSCORE - News Center

10 Most Popular Sports in America 2021 - SportingFree

When they are looking at Hockey they add in Canada to the mix which props up the numbers, in the US, hockey is big in certain states but is way behind other sports in most. Go check ESPN's quick tabs and try and find the NHL when College Sports are in full swing. The NHL will get removed to the drop down menu.

1. NFL
2.MLB
3.NCAA Football
4.NBA
5. MMA/ NHL/ GOLF/ SOCCER/ NASCAR

 

[robertmac43]

Why is soccer allowed to use all of it’s league throughout the world when it is compared to the NHL? Does that mean we can add the numbers of the KHL, OEL, all the Canadian leagues and other leagues in Europe. That would be fair, wouldn’t it?

That's not even close to the same thing, but if you want it to be 'fair' that I guess you could add all the hockey Leagues. My guess is even with all leagues considered, American viewership for hockey would see a marginal increase. What Americans are tuning into KHL or OHL? On the other hand, adding the CL, prem, La Liga, Liga MX, Serie A etc; would be huge for soccer viewership numbers. The amount of good American players now playing overseas in soccer will have added a lot of viewership.

 

[PoutineSp00nZ]

It will always be a niche sport. Not sure why this bothers people.

Go watch shitty soft soccer if you want to do what everyone else is doing.

 

[Gunnersaurus Rex]

These segments are such a joke. If you aren't a fan of hockey then you won't know who the players are.

If you stopped and asked me to name one baseball player, I don't think I could. I could name maybe 2-3 basketball players. NFL players - maybe 5 or 6. Golfers - perhaps ten.
I have ZERO interest in baseball and basketball and don't follow these leagues so I'm no different than the people in those videos.

 

[patnyrnyg]

I do not and will never understand why hockey fans in the US are so worried about the league's popularity (or lack thereof) of hockey here.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

These segments are such a joke. If you aren't a fan of hockey then you won't know who the players are.

If you stopped and asked me to name one baseball player, I don't think I could. I could name maybe 2-3 basketball players. NFL players - maybe 5 or 6. Golfers - perhaps ten.
I have ZERO interest in baseball and basketball and don't follow these leagues so I'm no different than the people in those videos.

But that's just it.

Even hockey fans aren't aware of certain great players because the NHL forces the same 4 big market teams down our throat.

 

[patnyrnyg]

These segments are such a joke. If you aren't a fan of hockey then you won't know who the players are.

If you stopped and asked me to name one baseball player, I don't think I could. I could name maybe 2-3 basketball players. NFL players - maybe 5 or 6. Golfers - perhaps ten.
I have ZERO interest in baseball and basketball and don't follow these leagues so I'm no different than the people in those videos.

Exactly. I see you have a soccer player in your profile. If you ask me to name soccer players, I can name Messi, Rinaldo, Landon Donovan and I don't even know if Donovan is still playing. If you ask me to name 6, I will add Maradona, Pele and the Columbian guy who got shot after the 94 World Cup. Best player in the MLS? No idea. Best team? Not a clue. Might be able to name 3 or 4 MLS teams.

 

[AsparaGus]

It's not at all. And that's okay. It's like our cool little secret.

Let them have their NBA and NFL.

 

[TheMoreYouKnow]

Hockey can't really be called a niche sport given that NHL players make millions of dollars and 15-20k people show up every other night to watch the games (well pre-pandemic). Water polo, now that's a niche sport.

 

[Perfect_Drug]

Hockey can't really be called a niche sport given that NHL players make millions of dollars and 15-20k people show up every other night to watch the games (well pre-pandemic). Water polo, now that's a niche sport.

All winter sports are incredibly niche.

It's hilariously misguided to pretend like they're not.

 

[robertmac43]

While living in the states it didn't seem like soccer was a big deal, outside of ethnic communiities, even though they have games on ESPN, FOX, and NBC.

Its become more of a big deal in the past 5 or so years and is continuing to grow with more quality American players making their way over to Europe.

 

[EdJovanovski]

So let's see how well you do, if you get asked in the street.

Who is:

- Brad Keselowski
- Shohei Ohtani
- Aaron Rodgers
- Simona Halep
- Lando Norris
- Nikola Vucevic
- Harry Kane
- Dustin Johnson
- Peter North
- Penny Oleksiak

No cheating.

Never heard any of these names in my life

 

[AsparaGus]

So let's see how well you do, if you get asked in the street.

Who is:

- Brad Keselowski - No idea
- Shohei Ohtani - Baseball player
- Aaron Rodgers - Overrated NFL QB. #BradyIsTheGOATFightMe
- Simona Halep - No idea
- Lando Norris - No idea
- Nikola Vucevic - One-dimensional NBA center that tricked everyone into believing he's an All-Star.
- Harry Kane - No idea. Sounds like a golfer.
- Dustin Johnson - Gretzky's son-in-law. How do you follow hockey and not know who DJ is?!?!?
- Peter North - Come on. Everyone knows this. NSFW.
- Penny Oleksiak - Jamieson's Olympian little sis. She swims.

No cheating.

Responses above.

 

[Fataldogg]

This isn't a surprise. The NHL has done a terrible job of marketing their stars for years.

You can go up and down the street asking who Ovechkin and Crosby are and 98% of the people aren't going to know who they are either.

 

[Rabid Ranger]

It's a multibillion industry that typically fills most areans and has a pretty good television contract moving forward. I don't see it ever being much bigger than it is *now*. Major factor is how anonymous the stars of the sports are. You wouldn't know McDavid from the kid that bags your groceries at the local Loblaws.

 

[Pookie]

Why do we even care?

hockey is an expensive sport. It’s not overly accessible

it’s a lot like golf or downhill skiing or even tennis to some extent

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

You know your sport is marketed like dogshit when NBA play-ins for who gets the right to get stomped by the big boys is a bigger story than anything that happened over the weekend.

 

[CartographerNo611]

Why do these myths continue?


The NHL is the 4th most watched sport in the USA, though it sometimes flips with soccer for 5th depending on the year. Nascar/car racing is 9th.

Top 10 Most Popular Sports in America 2021 (TV Ratings)

Top-10 Most Popular Sports In America 2021 | SportyTell

What are the 5 most popular sports in the USA? | STATSCORE - News Center

10 Most Popular Sports in America 2021 - SportingFree

TV ratings are kind of bogus, a successful NHL team in Chicago will boost ratings when they are winning and almost go bankrupt when bottom feeding.

I go off if anyone can recognize a player. Most Americans can name atleast one of Lebron James, Mcregor, Tom Brady etc. Almost everyone can name atleast one baseball team, the Yankees. American kids can name a Ninja for e sports or Faze. It’s not the same for the NHL outside of the big hockey states like Minnesota or Michigan.

NHL is very niche that relies on causal fans jumping on the bandwagon when the local team is winning or the smaller group of hardcore hockey fans.

When the Kings won the cup most fans couldn’t even name their captain.

 

[Salsa Shark]

But that's just it.

Even hockey fans aren't aware of certain great players because the NHL forces the same 4 big market teams down our throat.

The NBA does this cramming down our throat to a fault as well.

For example, this year we were forced to watch Zion Williamson and the s**tty New Orlean Pelicans struggle in so many primetime games as they didn't even make the expanded playoffs. A team with no history and no juice honestly. Now the NBA can do this with with a bigger pool of teams forced down our throat bc they have multiple national broadcasts a week unlike the NHL.

Its the social media presence and the sneakers (I know I'm out of touch too) that drives much of the NBA's popularity.

 

[PoutineSp00nZ]

Hockey can't really be called a niche sport given that NHL players make millions of dollars and 15-20k people show up every other night to watch the games (well pre-pandemic). Water polo, now that's a niche sport.

We can argue about semantics all you want. But the fact of the matter is, hockey is a "less popular" sport and always will be.

Use whatever words you prefer.

 

[bacon25]

I do not and will never understand why hockey fans in the US are so worried about the league's popularity (or lack thereof) of hockey here.

Because a lot of folks believe that something is good or right or correct because it appeals to the majority. The US is all about competition and right now the NHL really isn't competitive with the other mainstream sports in the US. In Canada, hockey is part of the Canadian identity, even if you don't play it. The same goes for baseball and football in the US, they are more than just popular sports to watch they are symbols of American culture. There is no point in trying to compete with that.

 

[Three On Zero]

Yes, as being the 4th most watched... that's really in the third tier.

4th most watched where ? Canada perhaps but not worldwide

 

[Gunnersaurus Rex]

So let's see how well you do, if you get asked in the street.

Who is:

- Brad Keselowski - NASCAR
- Shohei Ohtani
- Aaron Rodgers - NFL
- Simona Halep
- Lando Norris
- Nikola Vucevic
- Harry Kane - EPL, Tottenham
- Dustin Johnson - PGA
- Peter North
- Penny Oleksiak - Canadian swimmer

No cheating.

5 for me