Who is Going to Watch: NBC and NHL prepare for the finals that no one saw

[BruinsFan37]

John Scott effect. The Vegas story will make it the most watched finals in awhile.

At least for Game 1. Tampa/Wash blows Vegas out in Game 1 the casual fan will lose interest quickly.

Ratings for Vegas coming out of the west will be higher than for any other team that made the playoffs this year.

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Also Winnipeg wouldn't have had the colossal dud of ratings that some people in this thread have thought. Once the home/favorite and/or hated team(s) are eliminated whether or not the remaining team(s) are from a small market, or even a different country is irrelevant. A fan that is watching the game(s) at that point is watching them because they like hockey -- so the teams playing don't matter as much and they just need to be close/competitive.

Larger markets generally do better because they're watched by fans of that particular team -- who wouldn't watch a "random" match up.

i.e. ratings are roughly: general hockey fans (same for all teams more or less) + home/favorite team bonus.

 

[kingsfan28]

"For US Networks, Lowest Rated (NBC 2006 to Now):

• 2007 Anaheim vs Ottawa (1.6M)"

It's going be hard to get any lower than that.

 

[Cirris]

Yeah it's too bad.

NBC paid $2B for a 10 year deal.

In Canada, Rogers paid $5.2B for 12 years.

We just have 7 teams. Y'all have 24. Will hockey ever be more than a fringe sport there?

From what i understand Rogers also gets regional TV rights to the canadien teams when their current deals expired.

 

[adsfan]

I think Bettman needs to bring Vince McMahon in as a consultant to get some story lines going.

That train left the station when the Pens lost. Or when the Preds lost, depending on your point of view.

Ohhhhh, Yeahhhhh!

Woooooooooo!!!

 

[kingsfan28]

LA isn’t a O6 team but a large market. Playing NJ wasn’t compelling.

Throw in the NHL never promotes any team west of Chicago and your ratings are lower. The NBC/NHL marketing strictly focuses on the o6 teams and a few others. Just look at their promos for this seasons SC playoffs, Boston, Chicago, Pitt [twice] were all the focus when showing the most recent cup winners. LA was completely left out as well as any team before 2010. Personally , i could care less about the rating, but the NHL isn't helping when only promoting certain market teams.

 

[Pookie]

Throw in the NHL never promotes any team west of Chicago and your ratings are lower. The NBC/NHL marketing strictly focuses on the o6 teams and a few others. Just look at their promos for this seasons SC playoffs, Boston, Chicago, Pitt [twice] were all the focus when showing the most recent cup winners. LA was completely left out as well as any team before 2010. Personally , i could care less about the rating, but the NHL isn't helping when only promoting certain market teams.

This is probably true.

Much like the PGA Tour struggled when it promoted Tiger all the time and he fell from grace.

It good to promote the overall health of the league vs promoting individual stars or teams.

That said... my simple point... which is weird that it touched a nerve... was that we aren’t there. The ratings likely won’t be that good. And in the lead up to the NBC renegotiation, this is likely not good for the NHL. Their desire to prop up Vegas from the get go may cost them in the long run.

 

[66871]

I'm not watching. Millions less may be watching. Folks need to get over it. It's only a big deal for the TV ratings.

I sorta feel like everyone was "over it" before you even started this thread.

 

[Cyclones Rock]

Yeah it's too bad.

NBC paid $2B for a 10 year deal.

In Canada, Rogers paid $5.2B for 12 years.

We just have 7 teams. Y'all have 24. Will hockey ever be more than a fringe sport there?

It's more than fringe, it's regional. The NHL won't be able to overcome the complete lack of interest in its product in many regions and among many demographic components.

I don't think it's that big of a deal. The average NHLer makes, what, $2.5 million or so? Even if the game loses popularity in the US, it isn't going away.

 

[Derg12]

SCF will have a pretty large share here in WNY - always does no matter who is playing.

 

[Pookie]

SCF will have a pretty large share here in WNY - always does no matter who is playing.

Buffalo?

That’s one of the top TV markets

 

[MasterDecoy]

Why do NHL fans cares so damn much about the ratings? It's just reeks of wanting to be loved. I couldn't give a f*** and neither should you

 

[Scott Stevens]

Is expansion marvel Vegas and co-face of the league Ovy, in his first final, not a compelling story?

I’m hoping Washington makes it.

 

[Classicnamesup]

Would be interested to see TB-Veg ratings. Hopefully comically low just for the laughs, I don't care about NBCs ratings. Or CBCs. Or Rogers.

 

[Man Bear Pig]

A Caps/Vegas final would be interesting to me. More interesting than some of the other cup finals we've seen recently.

 

[Man Bear Pig]

Would be interested to see TB-Veg ratings. Hopefully comically low just for the laughs, I don't care about NBCs ratings. Or CBCs. Or Rogers.

I can never figure out why anybody cares about the ratings. So some company who shoves an ad on the screen during play doesn't get the most bang for their buck, who cares.

 

[Cletus Marley]

I don't think it matters who plays in the Finals. Nobody cares about it besides hockey fans. Unless someone like The Rock or Niki Manaj are playing, no amount of advertising is going to bring non fans in. Nobody gives a shit about hockey in the US.

 

[SpinningEdge]

NBC, Fox, ABC, or CBS all have unlimited money. Who cares if ratings are good or not? Hockey is still fine.

Nhl doesn’t need to worry about network stuff - that’s the networks job. NHL’s job is to provide a good product and they are delivering. Great young stars, lots of series going 6 or 7 games, trans kike Chicago and LA (two of the three largest markets in US) winning Cups recently, and now a Vegas team that is doing exceptionally well.

NHL is going their part. It’s up to NBC to do theirs to get more viewers.

 

[pbgoalie]

Ducks and Rangers fan
I will definitely watch to see where this story ends

 

[mad4comp]

Ovechkin brings more viewers to the SCF than Vegas and TB combined.

VA/MD/DC will watch just to see OV in the finals.
About 99% of Russia won't be going to work for two weeks watching OV in the finals.
Oh and Canadians will watch to make sure OV doesn't win a cup.

 

[ZJuice]

I have been watching the Vegas Golden Knights games whenever possible. Excellent hockey! I’m western Canadian though and will not affect the NBC ratings I think even if I watch on the NBC channel??

 

[Ban Hammered]

I'm watching.
Series will be fun with either matchup

 

[aufheben]

Is expansion marvel Vegas and co-face of the league Ovy, in his first final, not a compelling story?

I’m hoping Washington makes it.

But does it resonate?

 

[kingsfan28]

NBC, Fox, ABC, or CBS all have unlimited money. Who cares if ratings are good or not? Hockey is still fine.

Nhl doesn’t need to worry about network stuff - that’s the networks job. NHL’s job is to provide a good product and they are delivering. Great young stars, lots of series going 6 or 7 games, trans kike Chicago and LA (two of the three largest markets in US) winning Cups recently, and now a Vegas team that is doing exceptionally well.

NHL is going their part. It’s up to NBC to do theirs to get more viewers.

A good start would be to get grumpy Mike Milbury out of the broadcast crew, and start to bring in younger, more enthusiast color guys. There are plenty of good guys out there that don't carry his bias and personal baggage he brings into the games.

 

[Scott Stevens]

But does it resonate?

I don’t even know what’s happening.

Are you chirping me or agreeing? Haha sorry.

 

[pezpunk]

i think it's pretty obnoxious of the OP to make all these assumptions about ratings and present them as if they're fact. sounds more like sour grapes than anything else. I think Vegas in the finals has a good chance to give the NHL a significant boost to their normal level of (near zero) attention from the national sports media.