NHL possibly getting bumped for a WNBA game

[Section 104]

I had to look up Caitlin Clark because I was curious and had no idea who she was. The first thing that popped up was "Gap between Caitlin Clark's WNBA salary and here male counterparts' draws outrage. Clark will pocket $338,056 over four years under her contract with the Indiana Fever. In contrast, last year's No. 1 NBA draft pick secured a $55 million four-year contract."

I really don't think the WNBA having the spotlight for a game on one network is hurting the NHL.

Outage by dumb women like Hoda Kolb who doesn’t realize the NBA is far more popular than the WNBA…just like Formula 1 is far more popular than ARCA

 

[MuckOG]

NHL fans can get a little over-sensitive about stuff like this. TV is all about ratings and advertising dollars. If they think they will get more eyeballs watching the World Series of Poker than they will an NHL (or WNBA) game, what do you think they will do?

 

[BonMorrison]

NHL fans are such insecure little babies lmao

 

[The Note]

Calling the NHL of all things “woke” is absolutely hilarious.

 

[joestevens29]

The WNBA season starts a month after the WNBA draft? That's wild.

It really is a massive win for the WNBA right now.

Just have March Madness finishing which really brought fans to female basketball with Clark this year. Then you had the draft hype only to start a month later.

The hype train couldn't have worked out better for a league.

The WNBA doesn't even really have to do anything either. There is so much media hype that they can just sit back and enjoy the ride right now

 

[Ted Hoffman]

NHL fans think there’s some sort of prestige by being on ESPN and not ESPN2.

Being 6th, 7th, 8th fiddle on ESPN is still better than getting premier coverage ... on .......

........ hang on, I need to see what the excuse is here.

 

[CupofOil]

It's getting bumped for Caitlin Clark, not just any WNBA game.
To put it in perspective how popular she is, her games were drawing bigger viewing numbers than mens' games during the height of March Madness. I don't see this as much of a black eye for the NHL.

 

[Rich Nixon]

Nobody is disputing the NBA is more popular that's just true.

The WNBA only exists because the NBA allows it that's also true.

If the NHL gets bumped for a league that only exists because a better league allows it to
Then the NHL should be embarrassed.

The NBA "allows it" because the NBA, like every other pro sports league, is run by a collection of multi-millionaires and billionaires looking to make even more money. The ones in charge of the NBA are pretty good at it, if you look at their team valuations and revenues relative to their expenses.

The reason this group of savvy ultra-rich freaks "allows" the WNBA to exist is because they know if they set it up for success and capitalize at the right moments, it too will become a substantial money-maker. That's it. Sometimes those investments can take a very long time to flourish, but if you believe in the product and have the capital to stomach losses early on—years or even decades—you can grow it into something eventually.

This is one of those moments. It's business. They're capitalizing. They have an appealing product, as evidenced by the exploding interest in the women's game at the college level (last year's women's final also eclipsed SCF ratings, by the way), and they now have a superstar player to sell.

For the WNBA and its corporate partners (broadcast networks, apparel, etc), it's go-time. You're going to see a big push around it from those sources. Not because of some social agenda, but because there's cash to be made and they believe they have a window to make huge inroads right now. No different than a team going all-in at the deadline. When the stars are aligning you hit the gas.

"Allows." FOH. It's their f***ing product.

 

[CupofOil]

It may be depressing to all of us, but Caitlin Clark is a much bigger sports star than Connor McDavid, Auston Matthews, or any other hockey player.

Many more Americans know who Caitlin Clark is.

This

She's a bigger star than any Mens College basketball player even, she's a mega star.

 

[Kane One]

Being 6th, 7th, 8th fiddle on ESPN is still better than getting premier coverage ... on .......

........ hang on, I need to see what the excuse is here.

They are on ESPN. That’s all that matters. Which specific channel, between 1 and 2 doesn’t matter. And the games on ABC is the same thing as on NBC.

Plus there’s also the TNT coverage.

What they have now, including ESPN+, is miles ahead of just NBC and having to pay for NHL TV.

 

[TheGroceryStick]

If they expect more views, then play it. Find another source for the other game.

All I know, the playoff game will be on in the hockey bar I go to. Dealt with this plenty-a-time when someone comes in sneering that baseball/basketball etc “important” games aren’t on over a “random” regular season game.

Moral of the story. If ppl view it, it’ll be on.
If a bus of ppl come into the bar wanting another game, it’ll be on. But we pack the place, and it’s a hockey bar - until then.
(That’s small time analogy)

But it’s simple on the big stage too. Follow the numbers.

 

[Trash Panda]

The Catlyn Clark effect is real.

She is one hell of a draw, and there is no denying that the NHL simply cannot touch her.

This is a business decision that makes sense for ESPN. Move on fellas.

 

[spintheblackcircle]

2024 WNBA Draft drew nearly 2.5 million viewers in record-shattering broadcast Previous viewership record was set back in 2004 with Diana Taurasi

Stanley Cup & NBA Finals Average Record Low Viewership Across 5-Game Series

While the final Heats-Nuggets matchup managed a small increase over last year, the Stanley Cup Game 5 saw its lowest viewership in 29 years

deadline.com

All mens sports except football and soccer are losing popularity.

Womens soccer and basketball are surging.

Those are clear facts and anyone upset about it is just yelling at clouds.

It's evolution, baby.

 

[BB79]

She's a bigger star than any Mens College basketball player even, she's a mega star.

The way I see it, most of college sports' popularity comes from places that have no or few professional sports teams to cheer for. Boston has tons of great colleges, no one GAF about any of their players like they do in Kentucky or NC. People watch the Celtics, Bruins, Sox, Pats. The beanpot is pretty much the only college event that gets press here.

 

[King Woodballs]

Proves how far down the sports pecking order the NHL truly is. Not only are they behind college sports. They will soon be behind women’s basketball.

 

[hangman005]

We will not be getting into politics about this, this is your only warning.

 

[tarheelhockey]

The Catlyn Clark effect is real.

She is one hell of a draw, and there is no denying that the NHL simply cannot touch her.

This is a business decision that makes sense for ESPN. Move on fellas.

I think a certain someone(s) in this thread has seriously underestimated the star power of Clark. She’s one of the biggest draws in the country right now, literally twice as popular as any male NCAA player according to this study. That would have been unheard of in past years.

And there’s a strong demographic component to this as well. Younger people are more interested in women’s sports than older people. Racial minorities are something like 2x-3x as interested in the WNBA as white consumers. So an older white guy complaining on the internet that women’s basketball doesn’t have an audience… well, he’s kind of tipping his hand about the demographic bubble he lives in.

 

[Spargon]

Don't know or care who that is. But I also don't care about basketball in general (any league or gender). ESPN will chase the views.

Hockey fans need to accept to the general fan Connor Mcdavid is about as exciting as dry toast, Yes in hockey circles we recognize his greatness but the average person doesn't give the slightest crap about some Canadian in Edmonton with personality of a potato. How many Americans knew who Gretzky was before he went to LA?

Matthews I can expect being a bit more known because he is American born but doubt it's by much.

 

[NorthStar4Canes]

This really isn't about the popularity of the NHL vs the WNBA.

The most-watched women's sport in the US is NCAA basketball with millions of viewers, most of whom have never watched (or cared to watch) a WNBA game.

Clark is an all-time talent in her sport at that level and as close to a new household name in women's sports as you'll find with millions of fans already, and will make her pro debut hard on the heels of her last NCAA/March Madness tournament appearance before the media attention has died down.

There will be a ton of interest to see her play and they'd be crazy not to televise it. Whether that translates into a lasting interest in the WNBA for NCAA fans remains to be seen, but it will certainly get a bump due to her already-existing fanbase tuning in.

 

[Trash Panda]

I think a certain someone(s) in this thread has seriously underestimated the star power of Clark. She’s one of the biggest draws in the country right now, literally twice as popular as any male NCAA player according to this study. That would have been unheard of in past years.

And there’s a strong demographic component to this as well. Younger people are more interested in women’s sports than older people. Racial minorities are something like 2x-3x as interested in the WNBA as white consumers. So an older white guy complaining on the internet that women’s basketball doesn’t have an audience… well, he’s kind of tipping his hand about the demographic bubble he lives in.

Maybe, but it’s a whole hell of a lot more indicative of who they are as a person, if you can’t see the forest for the trees. Regardless of where you call home.

I live in rural Wyoming, and it’s just about as simple as can be for me to understand. She is simply on another level right now, and it’s awesome to see.

 

[Osakahaus]

I DON'T CARE HOW MANY TIMES YOU SHOW CAITLIN CLARK TO ME

IM NOT WATCHING THE WNBA

 

[VivaLasVegas]

It'd help if you know...NHL actually markets their stars, instead of pretending that people care only about the team.

NHL stars are less charismatic than squash soup.

 

[flying squirrel]

Clark's popularity, new expansion franchises, TV ratings, money, flavor of the moment, and other things dictate sports these days. Sorry NHL fans, this sport isn't high on today's pushed agenda's list to receive love. NHL signing on with ESPN was huge mistake and NHL will be treated like dirt no matter what NHL, players, or anyone else does. Cornball gets ESPN prime time slots over NHL games. ESPN and other monopolies have to much skin in the game now, and controls what gets seen by public. Then it's a question of what came first? Chicken or egg, does TV/Media promote a sport enough to help it or does one have to get popular first? No matter, TV/Media controls the kitchen, sets the table, and does it really matter what public wants or doesn't then? Probably not.

Love sports, but sports has come off looking bad lately with refs, media, etc. being to involved with outcomes. Since this is women basketball thread lets start with.....

• Iowa's favorable late call in final-4 that assured huge rating draw during finals.
• Women sports are being pushed: women sports are cool but ask LSU women basketball players how they feel today about rating agenda's. Was pulling for Iowa by the way, but bunk timing is bunk timing no matter who it is.
• NFL bogus late call against Saints -vs- LA that allowed to reach Superbowl their 1st year moving to LA's new stadium. Nothing to see here.
• Even NHL wanted hockey to succeed so bad in Vegas: they gave them every advantage in-the-book to do succeed. Bet many franchise who haven't won in awhile love this one. Sorta reminds me of how huge companies now treat existing customers like dirt, while treating brand new customers like royalty. Monopolies and huge money has a way of tainting stuff sometimes, doesn't it?
• Michigan's/Boston organizations being investigated relentlessly because who leads teams (Yeah, unfortunately politics as enter sport arena's to much now)
• Change happens, and nothing great last forever. There's nothing I or anyone else can do about that.. Come to terms sports is changing into is a lesser product because of many reasons. Money, ratings, gambling, etc being biggest.
• There so many more example of fingers-on-scales throughout sports world to list but they exist.
• And who even knows if numbers they tell us all are even true: wouldn't be first time false shadows have been cast within modern world's Plato's Cave. Internet has made Plato's Cave bigger than it's ever been historically.
• Stinks but NHL is in the backseat of the bus for many reasons.

Huge TV draw, right story-line, being wanted market, media's agenda list, correct beliefs, etc. can get one far in sports today. Unfortunately, humans doing what humans do when we make things about...... "The Who" more so than...."The What"

 

[spintheblackcircle]

NHL stars are less charismatic than squash soup.

Could you imagine if Gretzky, the epitome of boring, had the personality of Magic Johnson and if Magic had the personality of Joe Dumars?

Casual fans don't want to watch stars. They want to watch personalities and the best players, with few exceptions, are boring as hell.

 

[snag]

NHL stars are less charismatic than squash soup.

TBH, I don't care about what they are like off the ice.