The numbers are in for local NHL viewership, and while some teams secured some large year-over-year increases, others saw equally large decreases.
A common theme in whether teams notched an increase or decrease compared to last season seemed to be the local distribution of games. Some teams, for instance, saw large viewership increases after shifting from a regional sports network to a local over-the-air broadcast channel. Others experienced substantial audience declines as a result of airing on regional sports networks with narrow distribution.
According to Austin Karp of Sports Business Journal, the five NHL teams that secured the largest year-over-year increases were the Anaheim Ducks (up 75%), San Jose Sharks (42%), Washington Capitals (41%), Colorado Avalanche (40%), and Philadelphia Flyers (9%). The five largest year-over-year decreases were the Chicago Blackhawks (down 78%), New York Rangers (49%), Pittsburgh Penguins (38%), Tampa Bay Lightning (29%), and New York Islanders (28%).
For many of these teams, the given increase or decrease can be directly tied to distribution. The Ducks, for instance, shifted games off the little-watched FanDuel Sports Network SoCal to the local Fox-owned MyNetworkTV affiliate KCOP. The Avalanche, which saw a 40% year-over-year bump, benefited from the Stan Kroenke-owned Altitude regional sports network finally striking a distribution deal with Comcast after a six-year blackout.
On-the-ice factors also contributed to some of the year-over-year increases. Capitals viewership, of course, benefited from Alex Ovechkin’s all-time goals record chase. Sharks viewership was up because of interest in No. 1 overall pick Macklin Celebrini.
The season’s largest decline belonged to the Chicago Blackhawks, as the team’s move from the now-shuttered NBC Sports Chicago to Chicago Sports Network (CHSN) took a huge chunk out of viewership. Since its launch last year, CHSN has failed to secure distribution on Comcast’s cable systems, leaving much of Chicago in the dark about watching the Blackhawks.
Similarly, the New York Rangers fell victim to a prolonged dispute between MSG Networks and Optimum that contributed to a sizable audience decline. In addition, the Rangers’ poor on-ice performance compared to last season and a drop of nearly 50% add up.
Big picture, the NHL is undoubtedly subjected to the same local media struggles plaguing MLB and NBA teams. There’s no easy answers. Even a move to over-the-air broadcast networks, which results in broader reach and more viewers, usually spells a decline in local television revenue.
As the sands continue to shift regarding how fans watch their local teams, volatility in viewership, like the one experienced by the NHL teams this season, will likely become the norm.
About Drew Lerner
Drew Lerner is a staff writer for Awful Announcing and an aspiring cable subscriber. He previously covered sports media for Sports Media Watch. Future beat writer for the Oasis reunion tour.