Update 5/28/08: Game 2 on Monday garnered a 1.9 national household rating and a bit more than 2.5 million viewers
National Nielsen ratings for Saturday night's game featuring the Pittsburgh Penguins vs. the Detroit Redwings drew a 1.8 national rating and drew in more than 2.3 million viewers. This represented an increase of 157 percent over last year's opener and a 100 percent increase over the first game two years ago.
Considering it aired on Versus, a channel few probably are even aware they have, that's pretty good. I caught a good chunk of the game Saturday night in high definition and the production quality was very high. At least for me, high definition really makes hockey a far better TV sport than it is via standard definition. You get to see how hard these guys work up close in crystal clear high definition. Added bonus: you can actually see the puck!
Nobody is rooting for Pittsburgh tonight more than NBC. Like game one on Saturday night, tonight's game two airs on Versus. A win by the Penguins would ensure that NBC will get to air at least three games of the Stanley Cup championship games, and for a variety of reasons (that all boil down to $$$) a longer series is better for everyone, including NBC.
Unlike other television deals, NBC does not pay the NHL a rights fee, instead the NHL and NBC are in a partnership where they share any profits. There's been a little bad luck of the draw here for both the NBA and the NHL with Detroit's basketball team competing for eyeballs with Detroit's hockey team. Both teams playoff games overlapped on Saturday night and will overlap again tonight as well.
This story by Dusty Saunders in the Rocky Mountain News suggests that NBC is working very hard to move NHL coverage from a national niche to the "major" status of NBA, MLB and NFL. Dollars aside, ratings-wise only the NFL can be considered "major". Baseball is a major TV sport during the World Series and sometimes the playoffs, but otherwise not so much. And although the NBA playoffs fare much better than NHL, in its best half hour ratings wise Saturday night when the Boston Celtics took on the Detroit Pistons 4.69 million viewers were tuned in (there were less than 4 million in the worst half hour). For the primetime portion of the NBA coverage it averaged 4.34 million on Saturday, not quite double the NHL viewers.
Granted, that was an NBA conference final matchup, and the ratings will be better for the finals, but I think it's possible over the course of time the NHL can close at least some of the ratings gap with the NBA. Clearly, it's making up some ground this year.
I agree. I think recent NHL ratings have been “artificially” depressed by a few factors, the season killing strike of a few years ago, lots of network hopping, and lack of focus by whatever network was doing the telecasts.
If NBC puts the level of commitment behind it like ESPN does behind new properties it picks up [like NASCAR], they should definitely be able to improve.
Hockey has also been hurt by having non-tradition US hockey markets in the playoffs for the past few years. Being Canadian, I love seeing Canadian teams in the playoffs, but it does nothing for the US ratings. Last year it was Anaheim and Ottawa, and the audience yawned (for obvious reasons – Anaheim is not a strong hockey market and Ottawa doesn’t even register). But with Pittsburgh and Detroit, both strong hockey markets, if the game goes 7, I could see the final going for at least a 30 share in both cities. That alone is 2 million viewers, plus whomever else is watching around the country. The SC finals are never going to be the World Series, nor even the NBA finals, but if they could get the ratings back up to where they were even a few years ago, it would be mission accomplished.
Hockey has also been hurt by having non-tradition US hockey markets in the playoffs for the past few years. Being Canadian, I love seeing Canadian teams in the playoffs, but it does nothing for the US ratings. Last year it was Anaheim and Ottawa, and the audience yawned (for obvious reasons – Anaheim is not a strong hockey market and Ottawa doesn’t even register). But with Pittsburgh and Detroit, both strong hockey markets, if the game goes 7, I could see the final going for at least a 30 share in both cities. That alone is 2 million viewers, plus whomever else is watching around the country. The SC finals are never going to be the World Series, nor even the NBA finals, but if they could get the ratings back up to where they were even a few years ago, it would be mission accomplished.
Hockey has also been hurt by having non-tradition US hockey markets in the playoffs for the past few years. Being Canadian, I love seeing Canadian teams in the playoffs, but it does nothing for the US ratings. Last year it was Anaheim and Ottawa, and the audience yawned (for obvious reasons – Anaheim is not a strong hockey market and Ottawa doesn’t even register). But with Pittsburgh and Detroit, both strong hockey markets, if the game goes 7, I could see the final going for at least a 30 share in both cities. That alone is 2 million viewers, plus whomever else is watching around the country. The SC finals are never going to be the World Series, nor even the NBA finals, but if they could get the ratings back up to where they were even a few years ago, it would be mission accomplished.
I agree Doug. It doesn’t look poised to go seven games at this point, but I’m very interested to see how the first game in Pittsburgh performs on NBC on Wednesday night. as it’s in “primetime” we should see the ratings fairly quickly. the Detroit fans will again have both the Pistons vs. Celtics and Redwings/Penguins to choose from (hockey starts at 8pm ET, b-ball @ 8:30p on ESPN)
I agree Doug. It doesn’t look poised to go seven games at this point, but I’m very interested to see how the first game in Pittsburgh performs on NBC on Wednesday night. as it’s in “primetime” we should see the ratings fairly quickly. the Detroit fans will again have both the Pistons vs. Celtics and Redwings/Penguins to choose from (hockey starts at 8pm ET, b-ball @ 8:30p on ESPN)
I agree Doug. It doesn’t look poised to go seven games at this point, but I’m very interested to see how the first game in Pittsburgh performs on NBC on Wednesday night. as it’s in “primetime” we should see the ratings fairly quickly. the Detroit fans will again have both the Pistons vs. Celtics and Redwings/Penguins to choose from (hockey starts at 8pm ET, b-ball @ 8:30p on ESPN)
As a Detroit fan, finals should trump semi-finals, and for my dad they definitely do, but for me, the Pistons series is just more exciting. I love hockey, and I love watching my team win, which is more guaranteed with the Red Wings, but I just love the Pistons too much to forsake them for hockey.
But I really don’t understand why the Stanley Cup finals aren’t on NBC. Hell, why weren’t the semi-finals? There were nights when all NBC was airing repeats, and even hockey could have beat those ratings.
As a Detroit fan, finals should trump semi-finals, and for my dad they definitely do, but for me, the Pistons series is just more exciting. I love hockey, and I love watching my team win, which is more guaranteed with the Red Wings, but I just love the Pistons too much to forsake them for hockey.
But I really don’t understand why the Stanley Cup finals aren’t on NBC. Hell, why weren’t the semi-finals? There were nights when all NBC was airing repeats, and even hockey could have beat those ratings.
As a Detroit fan, finals should trump semi-finals, and for my dad they definitely do, but for me, the Pistons series is just more exciting. I love hockey, and I love watching my team win, which is more guaranteed with the Red Wings, but I just love the Pistons too much to forsake them for hockey.
But I really don’t understand why the Stanley Cup finals aren’t on NBC. Hell, why weren’t the semi-finals? There were nights when all NBC was airing repeats, and even hockey could have beat those ratings.
It is about time people start to realize hockey is a GREAT sport!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have been watching hockey since the 70′s. When I met my husband he could not believe I loved hockey just as much as he did. We get the NHL Center Ice package from our cable company and we get to watch games directly from Canada.
They really love their hockey. Most of the time the games are sold out. The younger generations only care about football. baseball & basketball. People in the United States need to start watching this great sport more.
It is about time people start to realize hockey is a GREAT sport!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have been watching hockey since the 70′s. When I met my husband he could not believe I loved hockey just as much as he did. We get the NHL Center Ice package from our cable company and we get to watch games directly from Canada.
They really love their hockey. Most of the time the games are sold out. The younger generations only care about football. baseball & basketball. People in the United States need to start watching this great sport more.
It is about time people start to realize hockey is a GREAT sport!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have been watching hockey since the 70′s. When I met my husband he could not believe I loved hockey just as much as he did. We get the NHL Center Ice package from our cable company and we get to watch games directly from Canada.
They really love their hockey. Most of the time the games are sold out. The younger generations only care about football. baseball & basketball. People in the United States need to start watching this great sport more.
There is no Canadian team in the finals this year and therefore the ratings have an artificial boost. Hockey will remain the lowest tv rated sport.
Please don't remind me, Zedman2. The rapid decline of Les Canadiens was painful enough to watch…
seeing the ratings boost by having two american teams playing for the cup.. don't you think the league office or brass, will “MAKE SURE” this trend continues?
sports are a dirty business and hockey being the meek game in the eyes of american views, needs the NBC brand name making money so it continues its coverage.
Never trust gary bettman nor anyone at the new york offices
seeing the ratings boost by having two american teams playing for the cup.. don't you think the league office or brass, will “MAKE SURE” this trend continues?
sports are a dirty business and hockey being the meek game in the eyes of american views, needs the NBC brand name making money so it continues its coverage.
Never trust gary bettman nor anyone at the new york offices
Redwings totally rock! I don’t know what you babies are crying about! Hockey is the greatest sport – American, Canadian, Sweeden it does not matter, open your eyes my friend, the Detroit Redwings have done more for this sport in the last ten years, than any other orginization!
Yeah, go Wings!!!