How popular is the NHL?

[Sempiternal]

Go to Twitch and you'll see it has one of the lowest viewer counts of all video games. Fifa, MLB, NBA2K and Madden all have wayyyy more viewers within the sports genre.

 

[bacon25]

And yet, the facts still point to it being the 4th most popular sport in the US.

It is the 4th when you add Canada to the mix. A Canadian team hasn't won the Cup since 1993 and yet hockey in America lags far behind the NFL, NBA and MLB, and NCAA Football and Basketball, it has been overtaken by soccer in the past few years.

 

[OG6ix]

It is the 4th when you add Canada to the mix. A Canadian team hasn't won the Cup since 1993 and yet hockey in America lags far behind the NFL, NBA and MLB, and NCAA Football and Basketball, it has been overtaken by soccer in the past few years.

Not a chance lol... Game 1 Bruins/Caps just out rated any MLS soccer cup final in the history of MLS. If you are doing one of those "Include all soccer leagues" garbage there is an overlap of the same fans watching all of them. No soccer league is getting the money that ESPN/TNT just paid for the NHL RIghts. Not even close.

When it comes to league coverage by the Media in the states it's only NFL/NBA. Baseball, Hockey, Soccer, UFC etc all take a backseat!

 

[oldunclehue]

Why, year after year does it continue to surprise people that a sport that is not a household sport in most states, and just in the last 20 years expanding pros teams in to some southern states....people will always watch something they connect with. Hockey isn't there yet, may never get there.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

Go to Twitch and you'll see it has one of the lowest viewer counts of all video games. Fifa, MLB, NBA2K and Madden all have wayyyy more viewers within the sports genre.

Clearly Fortnite is the most popular sport.

 

[Scandale du Jour]

Not a chance lol... Game 1 Bruins/Caps just out rated any MLS soccer cup final in the history of MLS. If you are doing one of those "Include all soccer leagues" garbage there is an overlap of the same fans watching all of them. No soccer league is getting the money that ESPN/TNT just paid for the NHL RIghts. Not even close.

When it comes to league coverage by the Media in the states it's only NFL/NBA. Baseball, Hockey, Soccer, UFC etc all take a backseat!

I'd take a look at the contract NBC has with the EPL if I were you.

ESPN just gave big money for La Liga.

Not saying it is AS MUCH as it is not a domestic product, but it is still huge.

 

[End on a Hinote]

No olympics, a shitty TV deal with NBC who gives zero shits about promoting the game, Toronto media not helping cause they ignore this generations best player in order to appease Leafs fans, and dinosaur Bettman at the helm of all this who should have been replaced ages ago.

The NHL sucks at promoting their own game. No surprise no one knows who McDavid is.

Fixed that for ya.

 

[OG6ix]

I'd take a look at the contract NBC has with the EPL if I were you.

ESPN just gave big money for La Liga.

Not saying it is AS MUCH as it is not a domestic product, but it is still huge.

I didn't say it wasn't a good amount of change - it is - all Sports rights have gone up in the last 10 years. I am just saying that Soccer is not as big as US soccer fans want it to be. Soccer fans to Hockey fans are similar to Hockey fans comparing it to Basketball. The sports food chain is real

 

[Sdevils42]

It's not a top 4 sport despite what die hards will argue. It's a niche sport (the most popular niche sport) and it's time it should be embraced as such. They've tried everything to grow the game and it just hasn't worked.

 

[Soundwave]

Not a chance lol... Game 1 Bruins/Caps just out rated any MLS soccer cup final in the history of MLS. If you are doing one of those "Include all soccer leagues" garbage there is an overlap of the same fans watching all of them. No soccer league is getting the money that ESPN/TNT just paid for the NHL RIghts. Not even close.

When it comes to league coverage by the Media in the states it's only NFL/NBA. Baseball, Hockey, Soccer, UFC etc all take a backseat!

lol, baseball gets way more coverage in the US, I'd say UFC also.

 

[OG6ix]

Why, year after year does it continue to surprise people that a sport that is not a household sport in most states, and just in the last 20 years expanding pros teams in to some southern states....people will always watch something they connect with. Hockey isn't there yet, may never get there.

Agreed, the NHL's expansion has been slow compared to the other sports. Staying at 6 teams for as long as they did was pretty short sighted.

 

[OG6ix]

lol, baseball gets way more coverage in the US, I'd say UFC also.

Really I turn on ESPN and all I see is NFL/NBA. A sprinkle of other sports... I've been watching for the last 6 months as Sportsnet/TSN have been bad.

It's literally 95% NFL / NBA - the personalities seems to be NFL/NBA people as well. ESPN just subscribing to ONE mlb game a week rather than multiple.

 

[Hitemwith4]

NHL does a horrible job at marketing

Hockey will be fine in Canada but it needs real help in the States hopefully the EPSN deal helps with that, just look what it did for NBA

 

[SotasicA]

Go to Twitch and you'll see it has one of the lowest viewer counts of all video games. Fifa, MLB, NBA2K and Madden all have wayyyy more viewers within the sports genre.

There's an EA Sports MLB game?

 

[Scandale du Jour]

I didn't say it wasn't a good amount of change - it is - all Sports rights have gone up in the last 10 years. I am just saying that Soccer is not as big as US soccer fans want it to be. Soccer fans to Hockey fans are similar to Hockey fans comparing it to Basketball. The sports food chain is real

Point is that soccer is MORE popular than hockey in the USA.

The NHL is more popular than MLS, sure. NHL might even be more popular than La Liga or the EPL or Liga MX. But, as a sport, hockey is not more popular than soccer.

Participation, fandom, overall audience. Probably not even that close.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

It's not a top 4 sport despite what die hards will argue. It's a niche sport (the most popular niche sport) and it's time it should be embraced as such. They've tried everything to grow the game and it just hasn't worked.

They really, really haven't. They have a generational player who wows you every night yet the also-ran Blackhawks get more coverage simply because they're a bigger market.

 

[I Hate Blake Coleman]

It's a multi-billion dollar industry that has doubled revenues since the 2006 lockout. This is fine but some hockey fans have inferiority complexes because people don't recognize Crosby like they would LeBron or MJ.

 

[Sempiternal]

There's an EA Sports MLB game?

MLB the Show. Different company and a better developed video game from what I've heard.

 

[Hasa92]

No, pro gamers are not up there. Not even f***ing close.

Maybe not yet but they will be Nr1 one day.

 

[patnyrnyg]

Point is that soccer is MORE popular than hockey in the USA.

The NHL is more popular than MLS, sure. NHL might even be more popular than La Liga or the EPL or Liga MX. But, as a sport, hockey is not more popular than soccer.

Participation, fandom, overall audience. Probably not even that close.

Participation at the youth level into HS, I would agree. Even participation for adult leagues, I would agree. However, it is not even close when you compare as spectator sports on the pro-level. The NHL is more popular in the US than any soccer league. Only time soccer becomes something here is during the World Cup. However, like I say about the Olympics, do not confuse a sense of patriotism than love for the sport. Michael Phelps was a huge story, but how many Americans can tell you won the 100m butterfly at the 2019 World Championships?

 

[patnyrnyg]

To compare a league sport, to an individual sport is ridiculous if you are using ratings, attendance. When the PGA has a tournament it is going to feature all the best golfers. They basically have an all-star game every weekend. Not as if there are 15 different tournaments going on on a saturday the way the NHL has 15 different games around the continent. Same for sports like Nascar. If you are a golf fan, you only have 1 event to watch at a time and every golf fan across the US and Canada is watching the same event. Same for Nascar.

 

[patnyrnyg]

It wouldn't shock me if the MLS passed it within 10 years. Theres almost 30 teams now and soccer is obviously a more affordable sport.

I have been hearing this claim since the 2005 lockout.

 

[patnyrnyg]

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.

It is simply the nature of the sport. When Tampa Bay is on offense, Tom Brady is part of every play. Lebron James gets the ball in his hand on almost every trip down the court for the Lakers and in the NBA the stars play the entire game. Connor McDavid plays about 1/3 of the game and sometimes has games where he doesn't score a goal. A bad night for Steph Curry is what, 20 points? Also as far as NBA vs NHL, the NBA wear tank-tops and shorts, no equipment or helmets. Having their faces on the cameras helps the "marketing" all on its own.

 

[Barnum]

It is the 4th when you add Canada to the mix. A Canadian team hasn't won the Cup since 1993 and yet hockey in America lags far behind the NFL, NBA and MLB, and NCAA Football and Basketball, it has been overtaken by soccer in the past few years.

I am tired of people not reading the links that have been posted and trying to find ways to make “alternate facts” as their truth. I posted 5 links of American and only American stats on the popularity of hockey in the States. Not Canada, not Zimbabwe or Costa Rica, but the US. If you choose not to believe them or as one other person tried to claim that the web sites were faked...than it’s on you.

 

[BOS358]

Also as far as NBA vs NHL, the NBA where tank-tops and shorts, no equipment or helmets. Having their faces on the cameras helps the "marketing" all on its own.

Not to mention that everybody alive buys shirts, shorts, and shoes. At least 95% of people who have even a passing interest in hockey have no need for skates, helmets, or gloves.