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NHL/hockey TV ratings 2024-25

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FriendlyGhost92 said:
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.
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@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.
 
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DaBadGuy7 said:
@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.
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Shortening intermissions is a bad idea, they lengthened them in the past, because there was still wet ice to start the periods.
 
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Golden_Jet said:
Shortening intermissions is a bad idea, they lengthened them in the past, because there was still wet ice to start the periods.
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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.
 
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)
Capitals-Rangers: 324k (TNT+truTV, non-exclusive)
Leafs-Golden Knights: 178k (TNT+truTV)
Sabres-Lightning: 390k (ESPN)
Sharks-Avalanche: 305k (ESPN)
 
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Jon Lewis of SMW raises a point I’ve made here and on social media. I don’t think it’s a guarantee NHL re-ups with WBD in 2028 with the continuing declining cable viewership and sub numbers, Zaslav’s cost cutting strategy, and the overall unknown future of WBD overall.
 
DaBadGuy7 said:


Jon Lewis of SMW raises a point I’ve made here and on social media. I don’t think it’s a guarantee NHL re-ups with WBD in 2028 with the continuing declining cable viewership and sub numbers, Zaslav’s cost cutting strategy, and the overall unknown future of WBD overall.
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Yeah, I made similar comments a couple weeks ago. In the replies I even made the same late 90s/early 00s NBC Sports comparison. While noting that Zaslav has essentially been saying the same type of things that Ebersol said then.

Less about 'declining cable viewership' and more about Zaslav, WBD strategy & whatever the NHL strategy ends up being -- i.e. A & B packages or A, B & C packages, an Amazon cross-border package, etc..
 
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Reaser said:


Yeah, I made similar comments a couple weeks ago. In the replies I even made the same late 90s/early 00s NBC Sports comparison. While noting that Zaslav has essentially been saying the same type of things that Ebersol said then.

Less about 'declining cable viewership' and more about Zaslav, WBD strategy & whatever the NHL strategy ends up being -- i.e. A & B packages or A, B & C packages, an Amazon cross-border package, etc..
Click to expand...


Another thing to keep in mind as well, this current deal was done by WarnerMedia before the merger with Discovery. Those running Turner Sports at the time were well respected sports business veterans. Zaslav bungling the NBA media rights I’m sure and these recent comments have both Manfred and Bettman attention. My assumption is that one or both won’t be back on WBD after 2028 imo.
 
NHL on TNT has been a breath of fresh air in terms of productions, and I think they are the best in terms of making the NHL interesting. B/R Open Ice is another amazing social media platform on top of that. However, NHL's next deal MUST have all Stanley Cup games on local channels and not on cable.
 
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S E P H said:
NHL on TNT has been a breath of fresh air in terms of productions, and I think they are the best in terms of making the NHL interesting. B/R Open Ice is another amazing social media platform on top of that. However, NHL's next deal MUST have all Stanley Cup games on local channels and not on cable.
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Plus the NHL probably likes how every TNT game is also simulcast on Max (plus TruTV adds to the calculation). I would love for them to keep TNT as part of their next deal for reasons you stated but yeah every final has to be on broadcast
 
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4mats4 said:
Plus the NHL probably likes how every TNT game is also simulcast on Max (plus TruTV adds to the calculation). I would love for them to keep TNT as part of their next deal for reasons you stated but yeah every final has to be on broadcast
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@Reaser did mention in the past during the last telly contract negotiations that TNT has a deal to showcase CBB March Madness top games on CBS. I am hoping that something similar comes out of the next round of negotiations as well.
 
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S E P H said:
@Reaser did mention in the past during the last telly contract negotiations that TNT has a deal to showcase CBB March Madness top games on CBS. I am hoping that something similar comes out of the next round of negotiations as well.
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That or something like CBS gets the rights but they also buy the contracts of the TNT personnel as to keep the same show/production team (like what's happening with inside the NBA)
 
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S E P H said:
@Reaser did mention in the past during the last telly contract negotiations that TNT has a deal to showcase CBB March Madness top games on CBS. I am hoping that something similar comes out of the next round of negotiations as well.
Click to expand...

That wouldn't have been me. CBS and TNT Sports have a joint contract, they alternate the Final Four. So the Final Four is on cable every other year.

When TNT's first year broadcasting the SCF came around, some speculated because of that relationship that TNT could/would put the Stanley Cup Final on CBS. Were alleged rumors of TNT searching for an OTA partner to air the games, etc.. Believe Fenway posted something along those lines, at the time.
 
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