Earlier in the year many networks had reported that the NHL had a chance to contend with the NBA in television ratings in the playoffs. The reports had began to spark due to the fact that 15 NHL franchises sold out every single game on their slate, where the NBA was struggling with attendance. The numbers are in and if you fancy yourself an NHL fan over all others you might want to look away.
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According to Forbes Magazine the NBA has maintained its dominance over the television rating as their opening playoff series is only half over. The numbers are so bad for the NHL that cartoons and reruns are even beating them in key demographics.
“Through Monday night, the NBA aired eight playoff games on cable networks (three on ESPN and five on TNT). Those eight games averaged 3.5 million viewers, or more than five times the audience tuning in to the typical NHL game on NBCSN. On Saturday, the NBA’s three opening playoff games led all cable programming in viewership, and Sunday’s games ranked as three of the top five most-viewed shows.
Meanwhile, the only NHL game to even register among the top-viewed cable programming was Saturday’s double-overtime thriller between the Columbus Blue Jackets and Pittsburgh Penguins. The game’s ratings numbers – a 0.3 rating with 850,000 viewers – rank it just behind an afternoon SpongeBob SquarePants episode and a late-night Full House rerun.”
Ouch. Those are back breaking numbers for a major sport that was achieving a huge boost in popularity in light of the Olympics and just overall interest from it’s fans in 2013-14.
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The numbers most likely do not count the Canadian viewers, but it’s safe to assume the NBA’s playoff crown is safe for another year. Although the numbers don't show it, the NHL is starting to pick up speed in America, and these numbers are but a small sample of how far the NHL has come since their lockout(s).
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