NHL TV ratings 2022/2023

[Golden_Jet]

OTT-MIN wouldn't do good on ABC, either! Just like this year FLA-VGK wouldn't have done good on ABC. It's not just matchup dependent for TNT. It applies to ABC, also.

FWIW, Top-4 (because ABC had 4 playoff games) non-SCF viewership games for Broadcast & Cable in 2023 playoffs:

-Cable-
TNT (BOS-FLA 1R G7) 3.095M
ESPN (SEA-DAL 2R G7) 2.746M
ESPN (NYR-NJD 1R G7) 2.045M
ESPN (SEA-DAL 2R G6) 2.042M

-Broadcast-
ABC (DAL-VGK WCF G5) 1.957M
ABC (NYR-NJD 1R G6) 1.932M
ABC (NYR-NJD 1R G3) 1.614M
ABC (DAL-VGK WCF G2) 1.616M

Zero games on ABC broke 2.0M these playoffs.
Ten (five excluding SCF) on cable (7 TNT, 3 ESPN) broke 2.0M on cable.

Matchups matter for ABC, too. Not some mythical creature where 5.0M would have been watching VGK-FLA on ABC this year. The number would have been bad on ABC, just like it was on TNT. It would have been a bigger number, but just as bad because it'd be measured against OTA. In addition it wouldn't come with the 'cable' explanation people are overusing. In reality, it was the matchup that was the problem, much more so than "cable."

Doesn’t Matter it grows the game in these new markets.

 

[Brodie]

The one takeaway is South Florida is a weak market for the NHL.

Yep... like we have copious evidence of the following things:

1. Miami is a mediocre sports market in the best of time... too transplant heavy, too much competition for limited entertainment dollars

2. The Panthers, with respect to their diehard fans, have not cultivated a real strong presence in the market at any point in their 30 years of existence and are pretty demonstrably the 5th most popular team in said mediocre market

Add in the fact that the Heat stole any bandwagon effect the Panthers might've gotten before it was obvious they couldn't win the Cup and voila, you have bad ratings. It is a market driven league and the sad thing for the NHL is there are still a small number of real problem markets where the league has had a presence for decades without cultivating widespread interest. It is nowhere near the issue that "grr no teams where it doesn't snow" types make it out to be, but there is no question that a few teams in the league are in suboptimal markets and/or have salted the earth within them via terrible marketing efforts

 

[4mats4]

Yep... like we have copious evidence of the following things:

1. Miami is a mediocre sports market in the best of time... too transplant heavy, too much competition for limited entertainment dollars

2. The Panthers, with respect to their diehard fans, have not cultivated a real strong presence in the market at any point in their 30 years of existence and are pretty demonstrably the 5th most popular team in said mediocre market

Add in the fact that the Heat stole any bandwagon effect the Panthers might've gotten before it was obvious they couldn't win the Cup and voila, you have bad ratings. It is a market driven league and the sad thing for the NHL is there are still a small number of real problem markets where the league has had a presence for decades without cultivating widespread interest. It is nowhere near the issue that "grr no teams where it doesn't snow" types make it out to be, but there is no question that a few teams in the league are in suboptimal markets and/or have salted the earth within them via terrible marketing efforts

Plus the Panthers have been mostly awful their entire existence which doesn’t help. Like if this cup run was the culmination of 10 years straight of consistently making the playoffs and finally getting to the final I’m sure the numbers would have been better. Not saying they would be amazing, just noticeably better. The Heat going on their cinderella run literally the same post season definitely hurt casual fan interest

 

[Reaser]

Plus the Panthers have been mostly awful their entire existence which doesn’t help. Like if this cup run was the culmination of 10 years straight of consistently making the playoffs and finally getting to the final I’m sure the numbers would have been better. Not saying they would be amazing, just noticeably better. The Heat going on their cinderella run literally the same post season definitely hurt casual fan interest

We have an idea of their range from bad season = bad rating and good season = good rating. Basement and peak.

At the end of their decade long streak of missing the playoffs (2011) they infamously and literally were getting beat locally by infomercials when they were at 3,000 HHs for regular season RSN broadcasts. I believe I recall that being labled as the worst rating in team history. Would be tough to beat so we'll set the floor at 3,000.

During the shortened covid season when essentially all regional ratings went up (less games) and a year they were a good team and 2nd in their covid division they got all the way up to to roughly 7,400-7,500 HHs.

Last season when they won the Presidents' Trophy their local rating increased 6%, which would have them in roughly the 7,800-8,000 HHs range.

This regular season was trending to finish below last season -which media outlets said 2021/22 was the highest rating in team history- so unless had some monster numbers down the stretch in the battling to make the playoffs games, they'll likely come in for under 8,000 HHs this season.

So 3,000 HHs to lets say 8,000 HHs is their range over 30 years.

Growth.

 

[Bostonzamboni]

But don't anybody start with all Miami teams have tepid local interest.

Because I can't recall the last Heat non-sellout. Years of selling out the season now.

Capacity is 19,600 and every game is listed on ESPN NBA as 19,600 minimum...and occasionally almost 20,000 and sometimes over 20,000. Sure, they've had a great stretch of winning seasons and championships for awhile...but won't naysayers on the overall Miami pro market just falsely complain their building doesn't regularly sell out -- when it clearly does?

Even the local Heat regular-season rating tv ratings, last I saw a few years ago, is a solid 4.0 or higher. Aren't the Panthers usually 0.15 or so until the past couple seasons -- and likely not much higher since?

 

[Reaser]

Aren't the Panthers usually 0.15 or so until the past couple seasons -- and likely not much higher since?

0.46 last season

 

[Bostonzamboni]

0.46 last season

Actually, that's encouraging!

But it seems the Heat are to remain a force and an impediment to any sustainable hockey growth there. The Heat will always be able to attract top free agents and remain sexy and relevant there and across America. But it would be nice to see a Panther conference final or Final without a Heat run.

 

[Anisimovs AK]

But don't anybody start with all Miami teams have tepid local interest.

Because I can't recall the last Heat non-sellout. Years of selling out the season now.

Capacity is 19,600 and every game is listed on ESPN NBA as 19,600 minimum...and occasionally almost 20,000 and sometimes over 20,000. Sure, they've had a great stretch of winning seasons and championships for awhile...but won't naysayers on the overall Miami pro market just falsely complain their building doesn't regularly sell out -- when it clearly does?

Even the local Heat regular-season rating tv ratings, last I saw a few years ago, is a solid 4.0 or higher. Aren't the Panthers usually 0.15 or so until the past couple seasons -- and likely not much higher since?

The Heat have 17 division titles and have only missed the playoffs 7 times in the past 30 years

 

[S E P H]

Even though we all agree South Florida is an awful market, that doesn't mean it can't grow and get better. I would bet this run has done that, even if it might be at some microscopic levels.

 

[Bostonzamboni]

I just bumped across a St. Louis Post-Dispatch story from last week detailing how the NBA walloped the NHL on tv in St. Louis once again for the finals , despite local Tkachuk playing.

Sorry, don't know how to link story.

 

[Anisimovs AK]

I just bumped across a St. Louis Post-Dispatch story from last week detailing how the NBA walloped the NHL on tv in St. Louis once again for the finals , despite local Tkachuk playing.

Sorry, don't know how to link story.

Just copy the link and paste it to your reply, like I did.

Also, There was literally nothing in the story mentioning the Tkachuks at all

NBA pounds NHL in St. Louis TV ratings for each league's championship series — again

Event though St. Louis has an NHL team, and hasn't had an NBA team for more than 50 years, TV ratings were better for the NBA championship.

www.stltoday.com

For those that dont like to click, St Louis got a 1.8 rating for the Cup Final as opposed to a 3.3 rating for the NBA Finals

 

[Reaser]

Also, There was literally nothing in the story mentioning the Tkachuks at all

It's at the very end:

"That’s despite St. Louisan Matthew Tkachuk being the star player on one of the NHL teams, the Florida Panthers, and in the NBA the champion Nuggets being owned by Stan Kroenke — St. Louis’ favorite scoundrel."

 

[joelef]

Just copy the link and paste it to your reply, like I did.

Also, There was literally nothing in the story mentioning the Tkachuks at all

NBA pounds NHL in St. Louis TV ratings for each league's championship series — again

Event though St. Louis has an NHL team, and hasn't had an NBA team for more than 50 years, TV ratings were better for the NBA championship.

www.stltoday.com

For those that dont like to click, St Louis got a 1.8 rating for the Cup Final as opposed to a 3.3 rating for the NBA Finals

Nhl has no casual fans

 

[jkrdevil]

Nhl has no casual fans

To the contrary…the NHL’s fanbase is mostly casual fans. They watch their local team and when it gets knocked out they turn their attention to local baseball or what the national conversation is for sports (NBA). That is the definition of a casual fan.

Still that isn’t an awful number for St. Louis and is probably what to be expected. Son of a former Blues player in the Cup final isn’t that compelling of a local storyline to draw in someone who wouldn’t ordinarily watch. Nor is the “local kid” angle given these are big cities and not small towns.

 

[S E P H]

To the contrary…the NHL’s fanbase is mostly casual fans. They watch their local team and when it gets knocked out they turn their attention to local baseball or what the national conversation is for sports (NBA). That is the definition of a casual fan.

I see it differently, I see NHL fans being so devoted to their team that they don't want to watch any other team when their club is eliminated (almost like they're butthurt in a way). That is why I describe it as tribalism, I met a ton of fans and nobody was close to the amount of passion they had for their sport compared to NHL and NFL fans.

A casual fan to me is someone who's just watching the sport because he's interested regardless of the teams playing and doesn't really ever become a fan of any of the teams currently playing. There are always way more casual fans than truly dedicated fans and why hockey's ratings are behind compared to the likes of basketball or throwball (and baseball to a certain degree). NBA got wild second-round ratings strictly because casual fans wanted to see Curry vs LeBron and not because they were fans of the Warriors or Lakers.

 

[Brodie]

To the contrary…the NHL’s fanbase is mostly casual fans. They watch their local team and when it gets knocked out they turn their attention to local baseball or what the national conversation is for sports (NBA). That is the definition of a casual fan.

Still that isn’t an awful number for St. Louis and is probably what to be expected. Son of a former Blues player in the Cup final isn’t that compelling of a local storyline to draw in someone who wouldn’t ordinarily watch. Nor is the “local kid” angle given these are big cities and not small towns.

this is totally correct, the kinds of fans who will watch any game at any time are heavily concentrated in Canada and some smaller American markets (mostly near the border). Everything else is totally local

 

[joelef]

I see it differently, I see NHL fans being so devoted to their team that they don't want to watch any other team when their club is eliminated (almost like they're butthurt in a way). That is why I describe it as tribalism, I met a ton of fans and nobody was close to the amount of passion they had for their sport compared to NHL and NFL fans.

A casual fan to me is someone who's just watching the sport because he's interested regardless of the teams playing and doesn't really ever become a fan of any of the teams currently playing. There are always way more casual fans than truly dedicated fans and why hockey's ratings are behind compared to the likes of basketball or throwball (and baseball to a certain degree). NBA got wild second-round ratings strictly because casual fans wanted to see Curry vs LeBron and not because they were fans of the Warriors or Lakers.

Another reason why there team first mentality is a joke.

 

[4mats4]

Calder Cup finals went to OT in game 7, I wonder what kinda numbers the NHL would do with an OT game 7

 

[Joe from Maine]

Calder Cup finals went to OT in game 7, I wonder what kinda numbers the NHL would do with an OT game 7

With two large market teams 10 million plus. The Blues/Bruins game 7 had 9 million viewers and the game wasn't close.

 

[Nicky Santoro]

With two large market teams 10 million plus. The Blues/Bruins game 7 had 9 million viewers and the game wasn't close.

With a CHI/BOS wed night gm7 in OT with no baseball or NBA on, we'd easily get 11M+ and peak at 16M.

We almost had that exact scenario a few yrs ago with CHI/BOS but chi scored 2 goals in the last minute in gm6 to win it.

That's what the NHL needs. A gm 7 double OT, with tons of chances and open net misses back and forth with the excitement of next goal wins the CUP. if we got this, alot of new viewers will fall in love with our sport.

But we've been so unlucky of late. Almost every SC final ends in 5 or less and is usually boring and some blowouts.

We need to catch a break.. maybe next yr can be the yr. Lets hope Connor Bedard becomes a huge star in CHI and brings the hawks back to what they once were 10 yrs ago. And maybe even better.

 

[NextBigThing]

Calder Cup finals went to OT in game 7, I wonder what kinda numbers the NHL would do with an OT game 7

Well we had the 2010 USA/Canada gold medal game go to OT. And more Americans were watching than Canadians. So much for hockey being “Canada’s game”.

 

[joelef]

With a CHI/BOS wed night gm7 in OT with no baseball or NBA on, we'd easily get 11M+ and peak at 16M.

We almost had that exact scenario a few yrs ago with CHI/BOS but chi scored 2 goals in the last minute in gm6 to win it.

That's what the NHL needs. A gm 7 double OT, with tons of chances and open net misses back and forth with the excitement of next goal wins the CUP. if we got this, alot of new viewers will fall in love with our sport.

But we've been so unlucky of late. Almost every SC final ends in 5 or less and is usually boring and some blowouts.

We need to catch a break.. maybe next yr can be the yr. Lets hope Connor Bedard becomes a huge star in CHI and brings the hawks back to what they once were 10 yrs ago. And maybe even better.

No they need to actually market their stars better rather than waiting and hooting on. A once in a lifetime veery hypothetical chance.

 

[Joe from Maine]

No they need to actually market their stars better rather than waiting and hooting on. A once in a lifetime veery hypothetical chance.

I understand what you are saying for a once in a lifetime chance. Several markets could get really good numbers though. Pittsburgh, New York Rangers, Boston, Detroit, Chicago, Minnesota, maybe Washington to name a few.

 

[S E P H]

Calder Cup finals went to OT in game 7, I wonder what kinda numbers the NHL would do with an OT game 7

Not sure if they ever release the ratings for the AHL, but they set an attendance record for the entire Calder Cup playoffs this year.

 

[Golden_Jet]

Not sure if they ever release the ratings for the AHL, but they set an attendance record for the entire Calder Cup playoffs this year.

Nice, same as the NHL did then as well, for the whole playoffs.