Can the NHL keep its new female viewers?

The NHL is coming off a strong Stanley Cup Final viewership, and a new report suggests that growth in women’s viewership may be part of the reason.

New data reported by Richard Deitsch in Sports Business Journal found that the 2026 Stanley Cup Final averaged 2 million women viewers, up 148% from 807,000 in 2025. Note that the Stanley Cup Final among all people increased by 106%, from an average of 2.5 million viewers in 2025 to 5.2 million in 2026.

The Stanley Cup Final also saw strong viewership growth among women aged 18 to 34. The 2026 Stanley Cup Finals averaged 839,000 such viewers, up 84% from 2025.

Linda Schulz, an ESPN vice president of production who oversees all aspects of NHL event and studio production, talked to Sports Business Journal about these new viewers.

“If we can make you feel that experience of being on the ice, we have at least half a chance of keeping a viewer that’s never had the opportunity to strap on a pair of skates,” Schulz said.

As a result, ESPN greatly expanded the use of technology during the Stanley Cup Finals to bring viewers closer to the action. Added technology in 2026 included a sky cam over the ice, a skate cam, and cameras on refs or linemen.

Much of the NHL’s new draw with women may have to do with the success of the show Heated Rivalry, a hit among women who might not otherwise consume ice hockey.

With the NHL’s success with a new demographic, it will be interesting to see whether a league tries to take a more direct approach to emulate it.

While not exactly the same, Formula One worked with Apple to create a cinematic film to promote the sport and reach target demographics who may not casually find themselves watching F1. Sports with older, primarily male, audiences, like MLB and NASCAR, could find value in this approach.

Of course, the NHL approach only works if women continue to watch beyond this year. One benefit of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final was its accessibility, with every game airing over-the-air on ABC. That won’t be the case next year, when the SCF will be exclusively on TNT Sports via cable.

If a new fan has to subscribe to a streaming service or go to great lengths to find the television channel the game is on, that does not seem conducive to keeping these viewers along in the long term.