NHL TV ratings 2023/2024

[Kirk Van Houten]

-NHL on TNT avg viewership Wednesday-

Flyers-Blackhawks: 387k
Bruins-Oilers: 288k

Wednesday (2/21) sports viewership: Kentucky-LSU tops night

On a customarily quiet Wednesday night, it was SEC college basketball that topped the sports ratings charts.

www.sportsmediawatch.com

"Moving beyond the hardwood, TNT averaged 387,000 for Flyers-Blackhawks and 288,000 for Bruins-Oilers in an NHL regular season doubleheader. Both games comfortably topped last year’s solo Blackhawks-Stars matchup (194K)."

 

[Reaser]

I believe the NBA is is “live alongside.” Where ESPN and TNT aren’t blacked out locally for non-exclusive games but are still available on the team’s RSN. The Stanley Cup Playoffs also work this way for round 1 where national and local coexist.

Frankly the NHL doesn’t have the audience size for this in the regular season. The RSN’s need to max out their audiences and thus the national telecast gets blackedout.

Nah, games get blacked out locally. Do twitter searches and images and you'll see the TV screen shots of blackouts for a variety of cable providers. Seems like more games get blacked-out nationally for people using streaming services (YouTube TV) too, which may be a streaming rights thing.

Plus I remember the SportsMediaWatch story about the Warriors games on TNT blacked out a few years back, may have been a specific Raptors-Warriors game only shown locally and not on TNT. Seen it happen with ESPN games that get flexed-in, too. Usually see a note when it happens that game will blacked-out in whatever market and available on local RSN.

And with the playoffs, NBATV is blacked out locally, but that's a different thing. Was a big deal when the Nuggets agreed to let their playoff game be shown on NBATV.

I believe the NBA RSN deals aren't uniform for # of exclusive games required, so different teams have different national limits, definitely tons of games available both locally/nationally (live alongside) so you only really see blackouts nationally with the teams that get a large amount of national appearances, like the Warriors that is the easy example to use.

RSNs definitely have an exclusive #, maybe it's like 60, so when the Warriors have 29 games between ABC/ESPN/TNT, 7 get blacked-out? Regardless, there's definitely been games blacked-out nationally to protect the local RSN in recent years.

100% agree on the NHL not having the audience size for "live alongside."

Edit to add: Finally found one that I was remembering from THIS season (don't follow a lot of NBA #s other than casual glance so couldn't remember dates) but first paragraph, LA blacked out on TNT, for an example: Tuesday (12/12) sports viewership: NBA on TNT tops night

 

[Reaser]

288,000 for Bruins-Oilers in an NHL regular season

Least-viewed Bruins exclusive regular season game since the start of the new rights deal. We know why.

 

[Chileiceman]

Least-viewed Bruins exclusive regular season game since the start of the new rights deal. We know why.

10 pm start time. I know you want to say it's because it was the Oilers, but I don't imagine the number would have been significantly different if it was Bruins-Sharks or Bruins-Ducks or Bruins-Yotes. But it is definitely not a good look to have a premier match up like that do so poorly, regardless of start time.

 

[Reaser]

I know you want to say it's because it was the Oilers

You know, huh?

Not what I was going to say, at all. Actually wasn't going to say anything because majority in this thread understand late-game + Canadian team involved (which is not specific to the Oilers, but they are based in Canada and thus don't contribute to the two markets involved, which most understand) = what we got.

You would know this, there was 8 exclusive TNT games sub-200k last season, there was one commonality for 100% of those games, 9:30pmET or later starts (obvious reason.) Can you give us the other obvious reason and primary commonality that accounted for 75% of those games?

You would also know that there were 5 games sub-150k in 2021/22 (or we can call it 4 games with the truTV debacle game) 100% of those games started 10pmET or later, an obvious reason. Can you provide the other obvious reason and primary commonality that accounted for 100% of those games?

 

[NextBigThing]

Bruins are drawing terrible this season. NESN average plummeted and their national games have mostly been massive disappointments. Celtics are crushing them in general buzz around the city.

 

[Reaser]

On the floor-end, this season is setting a good pace for least amount of disaster #s -- floor being raised, as we say.

Here's all the sub-200k EXCLUSIVE (non-exclusives are up this year, too but I just wanted to look at exclusives) broadcasts each season since the new U.S. national rights deal:

2021/22
*106k NYI-VAN 10:30pmET truTV (TNT)
126k TOR-LAK 10pmET TNT
134k CGY-ANA 10pmET TNT
142k TOR-ARI 10pmET TNT
143k MTL-VAN 10:30pmET TNT
151k LAK-ARI 10pmET TNT
171k LAK-ANA 10pmET TNT
195k NSH-DAL 8pmET TNT
199k DAL-VGK 10pmET TNT

2022/23
150k ARI-EDM 10:30pmET TNT
160k SJS-CGY 10pmET TNT
174k DAL-SJS 10pmET TNT
175k NSH-SEA 10pmET TNT
176k OTT-VGK 10pmET TNT
181k CBJ-EDM 9:30pmET TNT
187k ANA-DET 5pmET ESPN (SUN/NFL szn)
188k NJD-CHI 8pmET espn2
191k ANA-VAN 10pmET TNT
195k VAN-CGY 10pmET TNT

2023/24
179k CAR-EDM 9:30pm TNT

*-This was the game that started on truTV and that's the # we got for it. I asked people at TNT for a #, all I got back/confirmed was that it wasn't good -- likely worst-viewed game of the season. So I included it.

Only one exclusive game has been below 200k so far this season.

There was 6 (of 9 total) at this point in 2021/22 & 6 (of 10 total) at this point in 2022/23. So instead of the six such sub-200k exclusive games there's been through Feb23 in each of the previous two seasons, there's only one such game this season, to-date.

 

[Coinneach]

NHL TV ratings 2023/24

1/13/2024 Rangers-Capitals 954k (ABC)
2/10/2024 Blues-Sabres 709k (ABC)
2/10/2024 Capitals - Bruins 901k (ABC)
2/17/2024 Kings-Bruins: 823k (ABC)
2/17/2024 Oilers-Stars: 759k (ABC)
2/17/2024 Flyers-Devils: 1.132M (ABC, Stadium Series)
2/18/2024 Rangers-Islanders: 1.568M (ABC, Stadium Series)
2/24/2024 Blues-Red Wings: 779k (ABC)
2/24/2024 Rangers-Flyers: 957k (ABC)

Cable:

10/10/2023 Predators-Lightning: 598k (ESPN)
10/10/2023 Blackhawks-Penguins: 1.431M (ESPN)
10/10/2023 Kraken-Golden Knights: 691k (ESPN)
10/11/2023 Blackhawks-Bruins 896k (TNT)
10/11/2023 Avalanche-Kings 377k (TNT)
10/17/2023 Lightning-Sabres 552k (ESPN)
10/17/2023 Avalanche-Kraken 513k (ESPN)
10/18/2023 Penguins-Red Wings: 699k (TNT)
10/19/2023 Blackhawks-Avalanche: 401k (ESPN)
10/24/2023 Leafs-Capitals: 475k (ESPN)
10/24/2023 Bruins-Blackhawks: 526k (ESPN)
10/24/2023 Flyers-Golden Knights: 278k (ESPN)
10/25/2023 Capitals-Devils: 452k (TNT)
10/29/2023 Oilers-Flames: 271k (TBS, HC)
10/31/2023 Kings-Leafs 418k (ESPN)

11/1/2023 Sabres-Flyers: 309k (TNT, non-exclusive)
11/1/2023 Blues-Avalanche: 212k (TNT, non-exclusive)
11/7/2023 Red Wings-Rangers: 532k (TNT)
11/7/2023 Devils-Avalanche: 288k (TNT)
11/8/2023 Panthers-Capitals: 390k (TNT)
11/8/2023 Kings-Golden Knights: 334k (TNT)
11/15/2023 Flyers-Hurricanes: 365k (TNT)
11/15/2023 Islanders-Canucks: 236k (TNT)
11/22/2023 Bruins-Panthers 517k (TNT)
11/22/2023 Golden Knights - Stars 314k (TNT, non-exclusive)
11/24/2023 Penguins-Sabres 528k (TNT)
11/24/2023 Avalanche-Wild 406k (TNT)
11/29/2023 Red Wings-Rangers: 757k (TNT)

12/6/2023 Stars-Panthers 311k (TNT)
12/6/2023 Hurricanes-Oilers 179k (TNT)
12/7/2023 Stars-Capitals 470k (ESPN)
12/7/2023 Devils-Kraken 255k (ESPN)
12/12/2023 Red Wings-Blues 626k (ESPN)
12/12/2023 Blackhawks-Oilers 406k (ESPN)
12/13/2023 Bruins-Devils 538k (TNT, non-exclusive)
12/13/2023 Sabres-Avalanche 244k (TNT, non-exclusive)
12/20/2023 Islanders-Capitals 307k (TNT, non-exclusive)
12/20/2023 Kraken-Kings 182k (TNT, non-exclusive)
12/27/2023 Bruins-Sabres 438k (TNT)

1/1/2024 Kraken-Golden Knights 1.101M (TNT+truTV, WC)
1/3/2024 Devils-Capitals 358k (TNT, non-exclusive)
1/4/2024 Bruins-Penguins 846k (ESPN)
1/10/2024 Wild-Stars 362k (TNT)
1/10/2024 Golden Knights-Avalanche 278k (TNT, non-exclusive)
1/11/2024 Leafs-Islanders 327k (ESPN)
1/17/2024 Red Wings-Panthers 198k (TNT, non-exclusive)
1/24/2024 Hurricanes-Bruins 314k (TNT, non-exclusive)
1/24/2024 Blackhawks-Kraken: 235k (TNT)
1/26/2024 Golden Knights-Rangers: 569k (ESPN)
1/31/2024 Kings-Predators: 159k (TNT, non-exclusive)

2/7/2024 Lightning-Rangers 413k (TNT)
2/7/2024 Wild-Blackhawks 271k (TNT)
2/8/2024 Lightning-Islanders 298k (ESPN)
2/14/2024 Panthers-Penguins 336k (TNT+truTV)
2/19/2024 Leafs-Blues: 378k (ESPN)
2/19/2024 Red Wings-Kraken: 414k (ESPN)
2/21/2024 Flyers-Blackhawks: 387k (TNT)
2/21/2024 Bruins-Oilers: 288k (TNT)
2/22/2024 Capitals-Lightning: 361k (ESPN)
2/25/2024 Lightning-Devils 265k (TNT, non-exclusive)
2/25/2024 Flyers-Penguins 529k (TNT)
2/28/2024 Blues-Oilers: 281k (TNT)
2/29/2024 Avalanche-Blackhawks: 369k (ESPN)

 

[jkrdevil]

Once again ESPN and ABC can’t get full clearance for its 12pm games. ABC affiliate in Miami not airing Detroit-St. Louis. Similar thing happened last year. Airing Good Morning America instead.

 

[Reaser]

Once again ESPN and ABC can’t get full clearance for its 12pm games. ABC affiliate in Miami not airing Detroit-St. Louis. Similar thing happened last year. Airing Good Morning America instead.

Was a Red Wings game last year, as well.

re NBA: I asked SMW about the non-exclusives, he said he has a list of games blacked out nationally (didn't share it,) and said it's denoted on the NBA Master Schedule but it's tough to remember to check since it's so rare. So there are games blacked out nationally, but "rare."

 

[Reaser]

-NHL on ESPN avg viewership Thursday-

Capitals-Lightning: 361k

 

[Reaser]

-NHL on ABC avg viewership Saturday-

Blues-Red Wings: 779k
Rangers-Flyers: 957k

 

[Reaser]

-NHL on TNT avg viewership Sunday-

Lightning-Devils*: 265k
Flyers-Penguins: 529k


*Non-exclusive game

 

[Reaser]

-U.S. National broadcasts avg of avg viewership-

Overall: 500k (70 games)
Overall Exclusive Games Only: 549k (57 games)

Cable: 433k (61 games)
Cable Exclusive Games Only: 474k (48 games)

 

[Reaser]

Here's the averages v. the same point last season (YoY):

23/24 Overall: 500k
22/23 Overall: 398k

23/24 Overall Exclusives Only: 549k
22/23 Overall Exclusives Only: 422k

23/24 Cable: 433k
22/23 Cable: 355k

23/24 Cable Exclusives Only: 474k
22/23 Cable Exclusives Only: 374k

23/24 ABC: 954k
22/23 ABC: 966k

23/24 ESPN: 516k
22/23 ESPN: 395k

23/24 TNT: 389k
22/23 TNT: 337k

Everything is up other than the games on ABC -- which outside of the Stadium Series games are coming up short of 1.0M so far this season.

 

[4mats4]

Here's the averages v. the same point last season (YoY):

23/24 Overall: 500k
22/23 Overall: 398k

23/24 Overall Exclusives Only: 549k
22/23 Overall Exclusives Only: 422k

23/24 Cable: 433k
22/23 Cable: 355k

23/24 Cable Exclusives Only: 474k
22/23 Cable Exclusives Only: 374k

23/24 ABC: 954k
22/23 ABC: 966k

23/24 ESPN: 516k
22/23 ESPN: 395k

23/24 TNT: 389k
22/23 TNT: 337k

Everything is up other than the games on ABC -- which outside of the Stadium Series games are coming up short of 1.0M so far this season.

The broadcast ratings since the new TV deal have been such an enigma. So strange, can’t explain it

 

[Joe from Maine]

Good question. Could part of the reason be as simple as 20-30% more people watch TV on Sundays versus Saturdays? I looked at the NBC NHL schedule for 2021 and 14 of the 17 network weekend games were on Sunday. I don't know the answer just asking.

 

[jkrdevil]

Good question. Could part of the reason be as simple as 20-30% more people watch TV on Sundays versus Saturdays? I looked at the NBC NHL schedule for 2021 and 14 of the 17 network weekend games were on Sunday. I don't know the answer just asking.

That’s part of it. The other part is broadcast reach itself has dropped in the last few years. There is more broadband only homes and they aren’t getting and antenna to get broadcast channels even though they are free over the air.

Though out of home measuring should make up the difference (even though it isn’t an event sport like football).

 

[Reaser]

Good question. Could part of the reason be as simple as 20-30% more people watch TV on Sundays versus Saturdays? I looked at the NBC NHL schedule for 2021 and 14 of the 17 network weekend games were on Sunday. I don't know the answer just asking.

Definitely. And why every year in the TV ratings thread I post multiple times about how Sunday is the superior slot to Saturday.

Not a pure example to use because it was the Stadium Series, but still not a coincidence, to me, that the most-viewed game this season was Sunday at 3pmET on ABC. When the NHL on [broadcast] should be.

Repeated the story a few times, but even the previous NHL on ABC era, ABC even admitted that Sunday would be better than Saturday, but still left the NHL on Saturday. NBC took over, started on Saturdays and then realized it should be/is supposed to be Sunday, switched to Sunday and we had that until back on ABC on Saturdays.

 

[jkrdevil]

Definitely. And why every year in the TV ratings thread I post multiple times about how Sunday is the superior slot to Saturday.

Not a pure example to use because it was the Stadium Series, but still not a coincidence, to me, that the most-viewed game this season was Sunday at 3pmET on ABC. When the NHL on [broadcast] should be.

Repeated the story a few times, but even the previous NHL on ABC era, ABC even admitted that Sunday would be better than Saturday, but still left the NHL on Saturday. NBC took over, started on Saturdays and then realized it should be/is supposed to be Sunday, switched to Sunday and we had that until back on ABC on Saturdays.

The issue with Sundays and ABC is they have the NBA rights for that time. That Sunday slot for the Stadium series was available because it was NBA all star weekend.

Which would be fine if they still had the Sunday NBC spots, but they don’t. TNT has Sunday coverage and frankly people don’t go to cable when looking for Sunday afternoon sports. MLB on TBS had the same issues (plus others) in that slot before moving to Tuesdays.

Plus I don’t think the split rights overall help. Outside of one or two mentions during a game there is no cross promotion. So you aren’t driving one viewing audience to another. Plus ESPN’s weeknight schedule is so hap-hazard it is hard to drive promotion. Ironically, the ABC slate is the only consistent scheduling they have.

 

[Reaser]

The issue with Sundays and ABC is they have the NBA rights for that time. That Sunday slot for the Stadium series was available because it was NBA all star weekend.

Which would be fine if they still had the Sunday NBC spots, but they don’t. TNT has Sunday coverage and frankly people don’t go to cable when looking for Sunday afternoon sports. MLB on TBS had the same issues (plus others) in that slot before moving to Tuesdays.

Plus I don’t think the split rights overall help. Outside of one or two mentions during a game there is no cross promotion. So you aren’t driving one viewing audience to another. Plus ESPN’s weeknight schedule is so hap-hazard it is hard to drive promotion. Ironically, the ABC slate is the only consistent scheduling they have.

Yup, that's why the traditional follow-up post is about the next NBA deal and hoping that 'something' happens to where it opens up the Sunday slot on ABC for the NHL -- includes also hoping that ABC would also put the NHL there if it opened up. Which, as stated, they didn't when they could in the early 2000s, despite publicly saying it would be a better slot for the NHL [on ABC.]

Not how it 'should be' (broadcast) but TNT Sunday slate picked up a bit last season, much better than year 1. Other than starting this year with a viewership-killing non-exclusive game, it should produce respectable enough cable #'s again this season. At worst, it bumps TNT's average up.

TNT Wednesdays are the most consistent scheduling, obviously, but figure you meant for Disney which, yup. ESPN's scheduling is a mess and the ABC consistent Saturday schedule is definitely one thing hard to complain about --other than the obvious that Sunday would be better, the matchups picked, etc., but just strictly from a destination viewing standpoint, exactly, it's consistent.

 

[Reaser]

Semi-related to the above, or at least I went on another "NHL should be on broadcast on Sundays!" rant ..

For those like me that rarely visit the main forum, Fenway has an interesting thread about NBC/CBS wanting the NHL to goto 4-quarters or two-halves way back in the day -- even that aside, good NHL on U.S. TV history included in the thread for those interested:

50 Years Ago the US TV networks pleaded with the NHL to have only one intermission - In retrospect were they correct?

The implication appears to be that you say that it being halves instead of thirds would have somehow made the sport more popular and less of a niche product in the U.S.? If thats what they would have been 'right' about then the answer is no, it's highly improbable. I’m not sure that’s really...

forums.hfboards.com

 

[Green Blank Stare]

I'm curious to see the numbers for this Oilers/Blues game. They did the right thing putting Edmonton on earlier than usual to get McDavid in front of more eyeballs and he delivered a game winner in overtime.

 

[Reaser]

I'm curious to see the numbers for this Oilers/Blues game. They did the right thing putting Edmonton on earlier than usual to get McDavid in front of more eyeballs and he delivered a game winner in overtime.

Should help that there was only one other NHL game tonight and it was only partial overlap instead of same puck drop time.

Here's all the U.S. national broadcast weeknight games the Oilers have had since 2021/22 that started before 9pmET:

7pmET TNT v. Caps 275k (3 other NHL games overlapped)
7:30pmET TNT v. Bolts 315k (3 overlapped)
8pmET TNT v. Caps 290k (No overlap)
7pmET ESPN v. Pens 337k (9 overlapped)
7:30pmET TNT v. Bolts 374k (8 overlapped)

Breaking 400k tonight would be a win, based on recent history.

 

[Green Blank Stare]

Should help that there was only one other NHL game tonight and it was only partial overlap instead of same puck drop time.

Here's all the U.S. national broadcast weeknight games the Oilers have had since 2021/22 that started before 9pmET:

7pmET TNT v. Caps 275k (3 other NHL games overlapped)
7:30pmET TNT v. Bolts 315k (3 overlapped)
8pmET TNT v. Caps 290k (No overlap)
7pmET ESPN v. Pens 337k (9 overlapped)
7:30pmET TNT v. Bolts 374k (8 overlapped)

Breaking 400k tonight would be a win, based on recent history.

That is a pitifully low number of games. Not one matchup against MacKinnon or Matthews either. His one visit to MSG per year should be an automatic national TV game too.