NHL/hockey TV ratings 2024-25

[Kirk Van Houten]

1.6M Most-viewed NHL game of the season in the U.S.

Great news

 

[DaBadGuy7]

You'd think this would be a discussion point with their whole 4 Nations experiment of lengthening TV timeouts (Commercial breaks) but shortening intermissions.

More likely to hold an audience over a longer commercial than over a 16 minute intermission.

I'd love to see this chart for the championship game.

@Fenway posted a thread on the main board on how even back in the 1950s TV execs didn’t like hockey as a TV sport because of the two intermissions. He even posted research that two intermissions cuts down the viewing audience more than halftime in football and basketball. I do think in the next 15-20 years if they can perfect synthetic ice on NHL arenas that going to 3 periods to 2 halves or 4 quarters will be a thing. But in the meantime longer breaks and shorter intermission may hold audiences in the short term.

 

[Golden_Jet]

@Fenway posted a thread on the main board on how even back in the 1950s TV execs didn’t like hockey as a TV sport because of the two intermissions. He even posted research that two intermissions cuts down the viewing audience more than halftime in football and basketball. I do think in the next 15-20 years if they can perfect synthetic ice on NHL arenas that going to 3 periods to 2 halves or 4 quarters will be a thing. But in the meantime longer breaks and shorter intermission may hold audiences in the short term.

Shortening intermissions is a bad idea, they lengthened them in the past, because there was still wet ice to start the periods.

 

[Anisimovs AK]

-NHL on ABC avg viewership Saturday-

Bruins-Penguins: 1.1M

Up 30 percent vs last year.


NHL on ABC is up 22 percent vs last year

NHL Stadium Series delivers top non-Four Nations audience of season

Despite airing on ESPN instead of ABC, the NHL Stadium Series delivered the top audience of the season outside of the Four Nations Face-Off.

www.sportsmediawatch.com

 

[FriendlyGhost92]

Shortening intermissions is a bad idea, they lengthened them in the past, because there was still wet ice to start the periods.

It's not a bad idea if you cut out some of the bullshit before the actual resurfacing.

Only about half of the intermission is resurfacing. The other half is random "Games" used as a mask for a sponsorship plug.

 

[GKJ]

Great numbers for the stadium series considering it was a full nhl schedule and one of the teams was the Blue Jackets.

 

[Reaser]

1.6M Most-viewed NHL game of the season in the U.S.

1.594M for the full #

 

[Reaser]

-NHL on TNT avg viewership Sunday-

Leafs-Penguins: 326k
*Bruins-Wild: 457k
Blues-Stars: 383k

*non-exclusive game

For those that like the TNT/truTV splits:

TOR-PIT (326k)
-TNT: 268k
--truTV: 58k

BOS-MIN (457k)
-TNT: 400k
--truTV: 57k

STL-DAL (383k)
-TNT: 338k
--truTV: 45k

 

[Coinneach]

NHL on ABC:

January:

Rangers-Capitals: 1.1M
Rangers-Blackhawks: 454k
Bruins - Panthers 1,05M


February:

Blackhawks-Panthers: 723k
Rangers-Bruins: 1.1M
Lightning-Red Wings: 934k
Golden Knights-Bruins: 1.27M
Capitals-Penguins 1.1M
Wild-Red Wings 944k

March:

Bruins-Penguins: 1.1M


Cable:

October:

Blues-Kraken: 348k (ESPN)
Bruins-Panthers: 790k (ESPN, non-exclusive)
Blackhawks-Utah: 522k (ESPN)
Rangers-Penguins: 467k (TNT+truTV)
Avalanche-Golden Knights 315k (TNT+truTV)
Wild-Blues: 417k (ESPN)
Flyers-Oilers: 333k (ESPN)
Sabres-Penguins: 512k (TNT+truTV)
Bruins-Avalanche: 340k (TNT+truTV)
Capitals-Flyers: 477k (ESPN)
Avalanche-Kraken: 422k (ESPN)
Kings-Golden Knights: 245k (ESPN)
Flyers-Capitals: 410k (TNT+truTV)
Rangers-Capitals: 412k (ESPN)
Kings-Sharks: 186k (ESPN)
Golden Knights-Kings: 109k (TNT+truTV)

November:

Red Wings-Blackhawks: 411k (TNT+truTV)
Red Wings-Penguins: 354k (TNT, non-exclusive)
Kings-Avalanche 231k (TNT+truTV)
Hurricanes-Flyers: 237k (TNT, non-exclusive)
Predators-Kraken: 155k (TNT+truTV)
Capitals-Lightning: 268k (TNT)
Golden Knights-Avalanche: 207k (TNT, non-exclusive)
Penguins-Bruins: 483k (TNT+truTV)
Avalanche-Stars: 177k (TNT+truTV)

December:

Bruins-Blackhawks: 487k (TNT, non-exclusive)
Stars-Kings: 232k (TNT, non-exclusive)
Rangers-Sabres 478k (TNT+truTV)
Flyers-Red Wings 418k (TNT+truTV)
Panthers-Wild 161k (TNT, non-exclusive)
Blackhawks-Sabres: 245k (ESPN2)
Avalanche-Utah: 258k (ESPN2)
Stars-Blackhawks: 217k (ESPN)
Blues-Blackhawks: 920k (Winter Classic, TNT+truTV)

January:

Avalanche-Blackhawks 283k (TNT, non-exclusive)
Panthers - Utah 183k (TNT)
Red Wings-Panthers: 507k (ESPN)
Oilers-Avalanche 389k (ESPN)
Hurricanes-Sabres: 259k (TNT+truTV)
Oilers-Wild: 324k (TNT+truTV)
Panthers-Kings: 151k (TNT+truTV)
Golden Knights-Stars: 424k (ESPN)
Flyers-Devils: 253k (TNT+truTV)
Penguins-Utah: 138k (TNT+truTV, non-exclusive)

February:

Sharks-Kraken: 175k (ESPN)
Bruins-Rangers: 537k (TNT+truTV)
Oilers-Blackhawks: 217k (TNT+truTV)
Rangers-Penguins 560k (TNT+truTV)
Oilers-Capitals 318k (TNT+truTV)
Canucks-Kings: 159k (TNT+truTV)

March:

Leafs-Penguins: 326k (TNT+truTV)
Bruins-Wild: 457k (TNT+truTV, non-exclusive)
Blues-Stars: 383k (TNT+truTV)
Red Wings-Blue Jackets 1.6M (ESPN, Stadium Series)

 

[jkrdevil]

I think it is safe to say the Stadium Series is now the premier annual outdoor game the league has. Between Disney holding the rights and more flexibility in venues that can host it.