NHL/hockey TV ratings 2024-25

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Finnish numbers

Per vecka: TV-programtopplistor per kanal
Nelonen, vecka 7/2025

Målgrupp: 3-99 år
Befolkning: 5 434 000

Skärmbild 2025-02-19 063241.jpg
 
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The regular season, has nothing to do with how this tournament has turned out.
You might be right. My question how do we know it won't help the rest of the regular season? Even if it a small amount of viewers like 20-30 thousand a game. There has never been an NHL event of this magnitude and national attention in the middle of the season so we are in uncharted territory.
 
You might be right. My question how do we know it won't help the rest of the regular season? Even if it a small amount of viewers like 20-30 thousand a game. There has never been an NHL event of this magnitude and national attention in the middle of the season so we are in uncharted territory.
The regular season, has nothing to do with how this tournament has turned out.
It could also bring more viewers to the game.
 
You might be right. My question how do we know it won't help the rest of the regular season? Even if it a small amount of viewers like 20-30 thousand a game. There has never been an NHL event of this magnitude and national attention in the middle of the season so we are in uncharted territory.

There's going to be a by-default bump anyway because of the OOH change. Which we've already seen, though some of it is scheduling (e.g. Bruins games) but the four post-OOH change NHL games included the most-viewed NHL game of the season, most-viewed on ABC and excluding-WC most-viewed game on TNT this season. The YoY comparisons for three of the four were up and up 30%, 32% & 41% while the only game down (20%) was the inexplicable CTZ team (CHI) in the late game v. a Canadian team (EDM) which by just by the scheduling and time zone involved will give you a poor #.

OOH measurement increase also helps all Four Nations games, obviously.

Also have the post-football season bump, which is more theoretical since it doesn't always happen.

After those two things then you would get to a hypothetical "Four Nations" bump, which 20-30k a game isn't enough for credit because OOH (& post-football) takes care of that, and more. Would have to be a significant increase in #'s to start giving 4-Nations "credit."
 
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Will these ratings translate to the NHL?
Not at all, at least in my opinion. At least in the regular season. Not realistic. In fact, the WNBA likely gets and has gotten a much bigger boost, at least in America, from Caitlin Clark than the NHL can expect long-term from the 4 Nations Face-off...unfortunately.

Many/most regular-season games are boring save for some exciting spots, and too many of 'em. Plus they won't get any sustained hype from American media unlike now with tariffs, threats of U.S. taking over Canada, booing of anthems...
 
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Not at all, at least in my opinion. At least in the regular season. Not realistic. In fact, the WNBA likely gets and has gotten a much bigger boost, at least in America, from Caitlin Clark than the NHL can expect long-term from the 4 Nations Face-off...unfortunately.

Many/most regular-season games are boring save for some exciting spots, and too many of 'em. Plus they won't get any sustained hype from American media unlike now with tariffs, threats of U.S. taking over Canada, booing of anthems...
Agreed. But I do think this could potentially open more viewership for the playoffs.
 
O/U for tonight? Does it beat saturday? I don't think so but it will be close.
I think it will beat Saturday easily. A lot of build up on social media. ESPN has rolled out the red carpet with the game in focus on all of their daily shows. It is cable but I am guessing 7 million in US or more and 10 million tuning in for the final 15 minutes. Canada will be off the charts for ratings. I really am not sure but a best guess. Any other predictions from anyone?
 
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O/U for tonight? Does it beat saturday? I don't think so but it will be close.

Some things to consider.

1. OOH viewing. Was accounting for about 13% of sports viewership on the average game. Bigger event (e.g. NFL single-window) would increase to 30-40% of the viewership. That means before OOH that % wouldn't be there, so it's an increase of those #'s. That also is from when OOH coverage was 60-66%. We're in Week 3 of it being 100%. So tonight is a big event, it's not the 10s of millions that watched Thanksgiving NFL games for example but you can estimate 20% OOH increase to the number. So if you were thinking tonight would do 5.0M, add another mil to it for 6.0M.

Concerns about ABC v. ESPN, Remember that a bar, airport, gym, restaurant, hotel, etc. generally has to turn the channel to ABC when a sporting event is actually on. In nearly all cases ESPN is a default TV already on no matter what sport is actually on ESPN.

2. Promotion. Being promoted much more heavily than Saturday was and promoted via non-traditional outlets -- particularly politically and 'news' media, etc.. Plus, ESPN alone, have gone all-in on promoting the game. More this week than they do for a typical SCF.

3. Competition. Saturday night had NBA All-Star Saturday night (and a barely worth mentioning throwaway UFC event.)

The TNT NBA DH tonight will come nowhere near the All-Star Saturday night #'s so less national competition. Though there's another 7 regional NBA games on that'll overlap with USA-Canada. But I'd call that roughly a wash.

I'll predict 7.16M for USA-Canada
 
^ to add to that, what people are thinking.

Poll of people who follow sports media/including sports media have 70% thinking between 4-8M with 1% more thinking between 4-6M over 6-8M, as of this post.

My informal poll -of people who follow NHL ratings- has 50% thinking between 6.0-6.9M with a range of 4.5-to-10.0M.

Breeze of Sports Media Watch predicted 6.92M.
Lerner formally of SMW predicted 5.32M.
 

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