NHL TV ratings 2021/22

[DaBadGuy7]

 

[4mats4]

Good numbers all in all. Two mid sized markets delivered solid numbers overall. I think we will see really nice growth throughout this contract

 

[Bostonzamboni]

But....what if ABC hadn't carried the previous five games? Of course, this full coverage was a historical first in America regardless of network?

Then how much would the game 6 rating have dropped? Minimally? Obviously, NBC switchung to NBCSN for two games would mess up the momentum of the viewers....this, year, no break in momentun. So this had to help a bit, but we just don't know how much.

And I assume the Final ratings this year includes out of home viewers (since 2019 or so?). So another advantage over most other Final ratings we're comparing it to.

And since 2019, haven't we recently read that tv households are down 25 percent or so in America? If I understood that correctly, that's astonishing; I figured people would covet their cable tv as a comfort food in the early part of the pandemic.

Hmm...and I am still unsure if tv households refers just to cable and dish subscribers, or even over-the-air antenna viewers.

So with fewer tv households in recent years, well, no wonder even the NBA golden ticket 2022 Finals of big markets in San Francisco and Boston were disappointing to most critics, as maybe so many households in America truly did cut the cord since 2019's higher NBA Finals ratings even with a Canadian market. Their Finals ranged between 12 and 14 million this year for six games?

Not as much of a gap with the NHL vs. years ago. One would think the NBA Finals draw 25 to 50 million each game, just considering their media hype and various advantages it has over the NHL in America. You'd never sense the ratings dropoff, though, as the NBA topics seem to permeate all of America and beyond most of the year now, as their off-season is enticing and full of gossip, which though not a basketball fan, even I follow a bit.

 

[Kirk Van Houten]

Stanley Cup Final audience middle-of-the-road

Stanley Cup Final viewership rebounded from the past two altered years to rank right in the middle-of-the-road historically.

www.sportsmediawatch.com

The six-game Avalanche-Lightning Stanley Cup Final averaged 4.59 million viewers on ABC, topping only the past two altered seasons as the least-watched since Penguins-Sharks in 2016 (3.95M) and second-least watched since Kings-Devils in 2012 (3.01M). Going back further, this year’s series ranks tenth out of the 20 total Cup Finals over the past two decades and ninth out of the 17 since the season-long 2004-05 owners lockout.

Comparisons to prior years come with a number of caveats. This year’s Cup Final was the first ever to air entirely on broadcast television; prior series included at least two games on cable. The two prior Cup finals aired out-of-season in altered formats. Out-of-home viewing was not included in 2019 or prior years, though that is somewhat mitigated by the fact that television viewing levels were considerably higher then than now.

With all of that in mind, viewership declined just 4% from the first six games of Blues-Bruins in 2019 (4.77M) and 14% from the full seven-game average for that series (5.35M). Compared to the past two out-of-season years, viewership jumped 84% from last year’s five-game Lightning-Canadiens final, which began a year ago Tuesday (2.50M), and 114% from Lightning-Stars in a fanless fall “bubble” two years ago (2.14M).

In other data this Playoffs ranked tied for seventh best since the wiped out season.

 

[OG6ix]

Game 6 peaked at close to 7 million. Not bad for two "small markets."

 

[Reaser]

3.8M for Game 6, in Canada. Haven't seen what it averaged for Final or across playoffs "up there."

 

[Kirk Van Houten]

Imagine if the Leafs win a round again lmao

 

[GoalDeny]

Comparing the NBA to NHL game 6 (Canada + USA):

	USA viewers	Canada viewers*	Total
NBA Finals Game 6 GSW @ BOS	13.992 million	0.61 million	14.60 million
Stanley Cup Finals Game 6 COL @ TBL	5.817 million	3.85 million	9.67 million

*doesn't include French Canadian viewers

Canada NBA finals ratings info from here, not sure how reliable but since Canadian ratings seem to be harder to find I'm not sure if there'll be another source: SOURCE

Overall pretty good for the NHL I'd say.

 

[awfulwaffle]

But....what if ABC hadn't carried the previous five games? Of course, this full coverage was a historical first in America regardless of network?

Then how much would the game 6 rating have dropped? Minimally? Obviously, NBC switchung to NBCSN for two games would mess up the momentum of the viewers....this, year, no break in momentun. So this had to help a bit, but we just don't know how much.

And I assume the Final ratings this year includes out of home viewers (since 2019 or so?). So another advantage over most other Final ratings we're comparing it to.

And since 2019, haven't we recently read that tv households are down 25 percent or so in America? If I understood that correctly, that's astonishing; I figured people would covet their cable tv as a comfort food in the early part of the pandemic.

Hmm...and I am still unsure if tv households refers just to cable and dish subscribers, or even over-the-air antenna viewers.

So with fewer tv households in recent years, well, no wonder even the NBA golden ticket 2022 Finals of big markets in San Francisco and Boston were disappointing to most critics, as maybe so many households in America truly did cut the cord since 2019's higher NBA Finals ratings even with a Canadian market. Their Finals ranged between 12 and 14 million this year for six games?

Not as much of a gap with the NHL vs. years ago. One would think the NBA Finals draw 25 to 50 million each game, just considering their media hype and various advantages it has over the NHL in America. You'd never sense the ratings dropoff, though, as the NBA topics seem to permeate all of America and beyond most of the year now, as their off-season is enticing and full of gossip, which though not a basketball fan, even I follow a bit.

How do they count tv households? I don't have cable or streaming service, but I still have an OTA antenna and able to get ABC. I split Youtube TV with a buddy of mine during the playoffs so next year I'll have TNT regardless. I'm guessing the #'s don't include possible people watching OTA?

 

[OG6ix]

How do they count tv households? I don't have cable or streaming service, but I still have an OTA antenna and able to get ABC. I split Youtube TV with a buddy of mine during the playoffs so next year I'll have TNT regardless. I'm guessing the #'s don't include possible people watching OTA?

They only count Nielson media I believe. It's flawed but it gives an approximation - with streaming the business model is definitely changing.

 

[OG6ix]

I was listening to the sports media watch podcast and they were talking about the value the NHL has been bringing to the two networks. They thought the NHL should be getting paid more... Closer to a billion. They felt like the lockout really set their own valuations lower.

 

[sctvman]

Game 6 local numbers.

 

[NextBigThing]

Piss poor number for Tampa. No other way to spin it (though I'm sure some here will try).

 

[varsaku]

Piss poor number for Tampa. No other way to spin it (though I'm sure some here will try).

I think that Tampa numbers are really good considering how low Hockey is the sports pecking order in Florida.

 

[OG6ix]

I think that Tampa numbers are really good considering how low Hockey is the sports pecking order in Florida.

It's not that low anymore

 

[Bixby Snyder]

Doesn't the Tampa area have 2 ABC channels? That may account for the somewhat "low" numbers.

BTW a 4.2 for Albuquerque - Santa Fe.

 

[blueandgoldguy]

Damn, closest thing Tampa will ever have to a dynasty and that was the best numbers they could come up with?

 

[willy702]

I think the late dates makes a difference too. Fans without a dog in the fight are more likely to be on vacation or out doing things. Or in Canada spending time in their cottages. Offsetting that is not competing with NBA Finals games and media. So could go either way but I'm pretty sure most fans prefer wrapping things up by mid June.

 

[Hockeyholic]

Wonder what the game 6 tv ratings in Denver were.

 

[Fenway]

Comparing the NBA to NHL game 6 (Canada + USA):

	USA viewers	Canada viewers*	Total
NBA Finals Game 6 GSW @ BOS	13.992 million	0.61 million	14.60 million
Stanley Cup Finals Game 6 COL @ TBL	5.817 million	3.85 million	9.67 million

*doesn't include French Canadian viewers

Canada NBA finals ratings info from here, not sure how reliable but since Canadian ratings seem to be harder to find I'm not sure if there'll be another source: SOURCE

Overall pretty good for the NHL I'd say.

ESPN/ABC gets a far better return on investment with the NHL when you factor rights fees paid out

Doesn't the Tampa area have 2 ABC channels? That may account for the somewhat "low" numbers.

BTW a 4.2 for Albuquerque - Santa Fe.

ABC has 2 stations in the market - Ch 28 in Tampa and Channel 40 in Sarasota

Tampa seems to peak at a 15 rating in the SCF dating back to 2015

Overall I think the NHL and their new TV partners are pleased with how year 1 played out.

SVG Sit-Down: NHL on ESPN Producer Jeff Dufine Talks Stanley Cup Final, Skate Cam, and the “Crazy Journey” Reuniting With the NHL

The Stanley Cup will be in the building tonight as the Colorado Avalanche take a three games to one series lead into Game 5 of the 2022 Stanley Cup Final ...

www.sportsvideo.org

 

[varsaku]

It's not that low anymore

I think that is a temporary result of both Tampa and the Panthers doing good. If both were bad, interest in hockey would go back down. Football, Baseball and Basketball with their professional and college counterparts both have more interest there than Hockey. They would need to continue this dynasty if they really want to carve out a significant portion of the sports market permanently.

 

[jkrdevil]

Tampa has entrenched itself in the market where they can survive some down years (as long as it doesn’t get Len Barrie clown show bad again).

 

[Anisimovs AK]

Wonder what the game 6 tv ratings in Denver were.

21.2, as listed like 2 posts before you

ESPN/ABC gets a far better return on investment with the NHL when you factor rights fees paid out




ABC has 2 stations in the market - Ch 28 in Tampa and Channel 40 in Sarasota

Tampa seems to peak at a 15 rating in the SCF dating back to 2015

Overall I think the NHL and their new TV partners are pleased with how year 1 played out.

SVG Sit-Down: NHL on ESPN Producer Jeff Dufine Talks Stanley Cup Final, Skate Cam, and the “Crazy Journey” Reuniting With the NHL

The Stanley Cup will be in the building tonight as the Colorado Avalanche take a three games to one series lead into Game 5 of the 2022 Stanley Cup Final ...

www.sportsvideo.org

Tampa's peak rating was a 28.4 for game 7 in 2004

 

[Hockeyholic]

Interesting that Buffalo and Pittsburgh got such good numbers.

No real rooting interest for either.

 

[Anisimovs AK]

Damn, closest thing Tampa will ever have to a dynasty and that was the best numbers they could come up with?

No. They usually get 15-18 ratings in the finals. Their best rating was 28.4 for Game 7 against the Flames