Gary Bettman and the NHL must act after viewership trends are released by ESPN and TNT
The latest round of viewer trends shows sharp declines for the NHL in early season games in what should be a very concerning report for the league and its owners.
There was a ton of buzz on social media centred around the NHL's Frozen Frenzy , which saw all 32 NHL teams in action on the same night earlier this week. But, if the latest numbers are any indication, it won't lead to be a big increase in viewership. In fact, the the latest numbers show a sharp decline in viewers once again for the league in what must be a concerning report for NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman.
Sports Media Watch, which regularly follows ratings for all major sports, released viewership numbers for several leagues, including the NHL. While NASCAR saw a record increase in viewers, and the NBA and English Premier League experienced hikes, the NHL on ESPN and TNT is sputtering, to put it mildly.
The prior night, ESPN averaged a 0.21 and 417,000 for Wild-Blues, down 29% and 24% respectively from Lightning-Sabres a year ago (0.29, 552K). The Flyers-Oilers nightcap had 333,000 (-35%).
All eight games on ESPN and TNT that can be compared to last season have declined."
Another worrisome viewership trend was exposed as ratings for the NHL's opening night triple-header were also down significantly from last year, even though it included the very first NHL game involving the Utah Hockey Club. The first round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs drew great numbers in Canada, but that's not really surprising.
While the average hockey fan likely doesn't care too much about who's watching and who isn't, it's concerning when numbers like this show giant drops in the numbers of viewers. The NHL has a problem on its hands, and it needs to be fixed quickly.
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