Do you like the NHL being 4th in the 'Big 4' or do you wish it was more popular?

[qwerty]

Its a sad time we live in....

Is it though? Competition for the entertainment dollar spurs innovation. Think about how improved technology has enhanced the in home experience. Better resolution, streaming multiple games, potential virtual reality and etc etc.

The home experience is almost unbeatable today. Imagine paying $500+ to attend a game where the home team doesn’t show up and loses 5-0. You’d feel pretty cheated whereas being at home, you can switch the channel to a different game all the while skipping traffic, skipping security, saving money and time.

Then add Netflix, food delivery apps, video games and etc on top of it and It’s really not surprising to see attendance falling all over the place. It’s really a golden age for entertainment and sport leagues will eventually need to entice fans by lowering ticket prices and offering freebies to fans which is a win for us.

 

[qwerty]

I have a hard time both believing and accepting that, but I'm open to having my mind changed.

Check my post above. But I think if you check all the current trends it’s indeed possible.

I worked around a lot of younger college students and Gen Zs a few years back and none of them knew who Connor McDavid or Johnny Gaudreau was, but at least half of the 30-40+ aged folks did. I can only assume that this trend continues as the new generation could care less about cable tv or paying hundreds to attend a game filled players they’ve never heard of.

 

[Pitaya]

I have a personal theory hockey will surpass baseball in general popularity by 2030.

Football
Basketball
Hockey
Baseball

Baseball’s average age of fans is drastically high and they dont market well at all. The money will always be there but the popularity is waning

 

[Always A Devil]

I like the fact that its not as mainstream as most sports.
I also think if hockey were to become more popular the demand for changes to the game might increase, that in my mind would be negative, and we'll have already seen some of it;
"Drop the hard-hits, end fighting, make it so there is more goals to the game like basketball or something..."
All demands to make hockey more of a sport for "everyone".

I believe the essence of hockey would be challenged with an increased popularity of people that really has no care about its history and to make it more eatable for the average majority.

 

[Conspiracy Theorist]

4th is not bad in a country as big as the US.

 

[The Note]

I have a personal theory hockey will surpass baseball in general popularity by 2030.

Football
Basketball
Hockey
Baseball

Baseball’s average age of fans is drastically high and they dont market well at all. The money will always be there but the popularity is waning

If MLB doesn’t play a season this year it may happen sooner than that.

 

[North Cole]

It just seems that it's not high scoring enough to gain mass popularity. You look at baseball falling out of favor with the newer generations and people talk about watching a guy throw a ball for 9 innings - like paint drying. A perfect game in baseball has no offense. Hockey and Soccer are the same, hockey might play fast on the ice but there isnt always a tonne of offense. Its picked up over the last couple of years with rule changes etc.

But Basketball is end to end threes and lead changes so you're almost always guaranteed to see 100 points. NFL rules are pretty tailored toward offense these days, and look how many people whined about the Pats/Rams superbowl because it was a defensive fest. Most people want to see the KC/Baltimore 40 point games. Personally that superbowl was one of most tense games I've watched in the NFL and I really enjoyed it.

I dont want to stereotype the average US sports fan, but it seems with the advent of "reality" TV, people just cant sit down and enjoy something unless there is visceral entertainment. "Gimmie scoring right now, we need more points". So although someone who enjoys hockey can understand the speed of the game is a plus and might be nuanced, I think that holds the casual fan back. It's the same reason Twitter is popular, you can get sound bites and move on. Everything is consumed at mach 1 nowadays, and the sports that are popular are the same. People always joke, you really only need to watch the last couple minutes of an NBA or NFL game to see the winner.

 

[North Cole]

I have a hard time both believing and accepting that, but I'm open to having my mind changed.

It absolutely is, and as this pandemic has shown, esports is completely immune to certain global issues. If anything isolation increases the usage of electronics and connectivity. My coworkers asked me what I've been doing during the pandemic - playing video games and chatting with friends. They dont understand how something like discord or Skype works, so they were worried I wasnt social distancing.

Theres already millionaires on youtube and streaming platforms. I'm not saying physical sports will be extinct, but it is a lot more accessible than the top sports leagues. You have to be a 1 in a million freak to be a star in the NFL or NBA, not true for picking up a keyboard and mouse.

 

[JianYang]

It used to bug me as a kid. I didn't know how unpopular hockey was until I visited california for the first time. I was stunned that everyone doesn't know hockey lol.

At this point, I don't really care whether it's popular or not. All that matters to me is that they continue to operate in this successful niche where the nhl remains a going concern, while attracting some of the best athletes in the world.

As long as the nhl can keep this up, I'll continue to consume the product.

 

[Morbo]

never really cared about the popularity in this sense...but I am concerned about dropoff due to the expense of hockey. have to think it's the costliest of the 4 sports.

 

[pbgoalie]

The divide in our country which is widening politically and socially could have a huge impact on football. It already affected the gate and would eventually impact the sponsor monies if it continues.
The economic carnage from COVID are yet to be seen and the taxes and programs needed to pay for everything that has/is happening are going to impact a lot of entertainment dollars.

every sport is going to need to be very good at adjusting on the fly

 

[McVespa99]

I wish it was less popular. Then tickets wouldnt be so expensive.

 

[Bluesguru]

The other 3 are far easier to play in terms of money.

Of the 3, hockey is the fastest. I remember reading that football really only has 11 minutes of play (on average) in their games ?

Basketball is the closest with flow, but it usually doesn't go too long.

Baseball is pretty slow, too.

I feel like a lot of people don't even care about basketball, they go because it's popular and the diehard fans who love basketball can't afford to go because some of the ticket prices make hockey seem cheap.

Ball is in play for only 6 minutes in football. Crazy isn’t it?

Of the big 4, IMO, hockey is the only sport that you can argue that has actually improved its game.

Baseball stinks. No personality, no fundamentals, no Afro Americans, no nothing. It’s all bulk, swing for the fences today. 36 percent of the time, it’s either a walk, strikeout or home run. BTW, ball is in play for about 18 minutes per game in baseball.

Basketball stinks. It’s all spread the floor, stand around and hoist up 3’s. Far cry from the Bird, Magic, Dr. J, Jordan eras.

Football has regressed as well. Game got too cute with spread offenses and dime defenses now. Seems like all the big plays in football look the same now. No variety at all. Much better before when it was a running league and more smash mouth.

 

[End on a Hinote]

It's #4 in the USA, #1 in Canada.

I'm in Canada, so I'm good.

 

[Paperbagofglory]

If the sport was bigger than say goodbye to Most Canadian teams minus Montreal and Toronto. It already increased in popularity in the late 80s resulting in inflated salaries and players jumping ship to higher paying bigger market teams. You would see an exodus of Canadian teams for bigger more luctative markets that that would now have bigger fanbases based on population density. 12 teams are basically keeping the league afloat at this point.

 

[Rodgerwilco]

I don't mind it whatsoever. The popularity of the sport doesn't affect how much I love it.

I will never understand the inferiority complex that many fans seem to have when discussing this topic.

 

[Machinehead]

Couldn't care less. It's not a contest.

 

[TheTotalPackage]

I don't care anymore. I used to when I was younger and you'd have friends knock this great sport of hockey you love so much, and didn't understand the fascination with other boring sports (to me) like football/the NFL.

But I do care that the NHL cares so much that it has altered how the game and league was as soon back as the early 90s. Now it's all about business. The charm of the game and league has been stripped because of it.

 

[Fixxer]

It's not 4th in Canada and it's all that matters to me.

 

[powerstuck]

Ball is in play for only 6 minutes in football. Crazy isn’t it?

Of the big 4, IMO, hockey is the only sport that you can argue that has actually improved its game.

Baseball stinks. No personality, no fundamentals, no Afro Americans, no nothing. It’s all bulk, swing for the fences today. 36 percent of the time, it’s either a walk, strikeout or home run. BTW, ball is in play for about 18 minutes per game in baseball.

Basketball stinks. It’s all spread the floor, stand around and hoist up 3’s. Far cry from the Bird, Magic, Dr. J, Jordan eras.

Football has regressed as well. Game got too cute with spread offenses and dime defenses now. Seems like all the big plays in football look the same now. No variety at all. Much better before when it was a running league and more smash mouth.

That's a bit simplistic don't you think ?

Hockey may have improved but everything isn't great either. Last 5 minutes of a 3 period can take 15 minutes to play because a team with a 1 goal lead will just dump and ice indefinitely grinding down 10 seconds a shot.

Oh and don't even start me up about the eternal reviews of offsides that happened 4 minutes before the last whistle blow and is now being reviewed for 25 minutes by 3 referees viewing 84 different angles to make sure it's conclusive or not.

 

[captainpaxil]

I think basketball has always been it's direct competition and in certain markets it's winning there. Where it loses out is at the lower levels. Ice time is not only limited but expensive so it gets a reputation as a sport that other kids play. Which is odd because pro players by far are the most down to earth and accessible.

 

[wetcoast]

I don't care what other people think of the things I like at all, I think some people are just insecure and like to be part of a crowd.

 

[majormajor]

I really don't care at all how big hockey is beyond a certain point. You can find it on so many different streams/channels and talk about it 24/7 if you want. Beyond that it doesn't matter if 10 million people are into it or 100 million. 100 million might be worse, you'd never be able to get a seat at a game!

 

[Merya]

Does it really matter? Worldwide NHL is really small potatoes. Shouldn't bother you that Cricket is watched by 20 times more people.

 

[Tyrolean]

Ball is in play for only 6 minutes in football. Crazy isn’t it?

Of the big 4, IMO, hockey is the only sport that you can argue that has actually improved its game.

Baseball stinks. No personality, no fundamentals, no Afro Americans, no nothing. It’s all bulk, swing for the fences today. 36 percent of the time, it’s either a walk, strikeout or home run. BTW, ball is in play for about 18 minutes per game in baseball.

Basketball stinks. It’s all spread the floor, stand around and hoist up 3’s. Far cry from the Bird, Magic, Dr. J, Jordan eras.

Football has regressed as well. Game got too cute with spread offenses and dime defenses now. Seems like all the big plays in football look the same now. No variety at all. Much better before when it was a running league and more smash mouth.

CFL football is vastly more entertaining than the NFL.