NHL TV ratings are down across the board on average for Rogers

[Erick Estrada]

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sport...ticle27702912/

Now I want the league to prosper so this isn't exactly great news but I certainly don't feel bad for Rogers as they brought this upon themselves when they offered that ridiculous deal to the NHL. I'm sure the success of the Blue Jays have played a role in the lower Toronto ratings although they are down pretty significantly. The fact that all the western teams have been pretty bad probably doesn't help as well but these numbers are pretty alarming.

[Matata]

TV ratings don't mean total viewers, 95% of the hockey I've watched over the last two years was online. Game Centre is by far a better viewing experience.

[CliffFletcher]

It's almost as though there's a correlation between the production values and the entertainment value of the product.

[Dr. Doom]

It's watered down hockey now, I'm not watching it on CityTV - in fact who is? The analysis is painful to watch, the personalities aren't much of personalities at all. And sure maybe the Jays did take a chunk out, but with fans turning their backs on Rogers in droves there as well, I see this whole thing snowballing the wrong way for them. In fact I think they bit off way more than they can chew, and they've lost touch of reality with the decisions made both with hockey and baseball.

[northcrunk]

They really suck this year. People are not stupid. Pick up your socks Rogers.

[Resolute 14]

There is some lazy reporting going on there. Comparing 16 Toronto games this year to 14 games last year is meaningless without breaking down how frequently they are aired on CBC, City or Sportsnet and looking at the like for like comparisons of CBC vs. CBC, City vs. City and Sportsnet vs. Sportsnet (then further: regional vs. national). At least Shoalts starts making fair comparisons later in the piece.

Either way, suck it Rogers.

[dino7c]

tons of people now watch online

[saillias]

Of course Toronto is down, they are starting the rebuild again. And they don't have a single special talent that you tune into a game for. For all the Babcock hype no one is interested in watching a moneybags coach grimace on the bench.

[Erick Estrada]

Another stroke of bad luck for Rogers was the injury to budding superstar Connor McDavid. Rogers loaded up on national games for the rookie NHLer and his Edmonton Oilers, only to see him suffer a broken collarbone on Nov. 3, which will keep him out of the lineup through January.

When you double down on a product that's been proven beyond doubt no good should anyone be surprised the results are no good? I don't call that bad luck. I call that reaping what you sow.

[troutman]

Doesn't help that most of the Canadian teams are struggling.

[Northendzone]

i wonder if the fact that hockey is on 7 nights per week also hurts - i mean, if you don't see tuesday's fl;ames game, that is ok, because there is one on thursday night and saturday's game is on as well

[jayswin]

I actually miss the whole "gathering" feeling of CBC's hockey night in Canada, and would often make a point of tuning it at 4:30 when they'd start the evening. They made it feel like a special "movie" evening with a very solid cast (yes, I realize they always had a couple dolts as well) and just generally made it stick out as a great night of hockey to watch.

Roger's has attempted to keep the HNIC tradition, but imo their goal of making every hockey broadcast the same has actually hurt them. Every game now feels like a Tuesday night circa 2012 sportsnet broadcast. Aka, very vanilla, all the lamest analysts spread throughout the games no matter the night.

There's just something about watching John Shannon and other former day time sportsnet hockey guys on primetime, big games that takes away from the experience. I find myself not really stopping on many games while watching TV anymore.

[jayswin]

Basically if Rogers had monopolized hockey broadcasts in this country and spent lots of money making it a premier broadcast that had some wow factor, everything would probably be fine, but instead they predictably spread their vanilla Rogers style throughout the entire hockey division and everything feels "meh".

[Erick Estrada]

Yeah its the same stale presentation regardless of the game or day of the week. I used to enjoy the TSN Wednesday broadcasts during the week because it wasn't RSN or CBC. RSN has improved since their regional beginnings but their national broadcasts still have that regional, low budget feel to them compared to TSN and CBC. We are barely two years into this horrible deal and it feels like the NHL took the money and left Canadian hockey fans with a 12 year jail term.

[heep223]

With the exception of our local PBP & colour, I'd rather watch the game on silent (with rink and crowd sound) and a blank screen during intermission.

That is saying something.

[btimbit]

Maybe because its generally a crap product. We're lucky in Calgary to have Ball, Hrudey and Hextall. But watch an Oilers broadcast and its downright embarrassing.

I'd rather watch the Zambonis go around and the sumo hockey, rather than the intermission show sometimes

[CroFlames]

Yeah. Most of us agree that Rogers sucks and HNIC ain't what it used to be.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G920A using Tapatalk

[polak]

Really, you guys think its production value?

I don't think anyone chooses to or not to tune in to their favorite team playing cause of the quality of the intermission BS you don't pay attention to anyways...

Probably has to do with the crappy teams in Canada and the warm weather.

[Benched]

TSN panel: Actually interesting and engaging
CBC panel: basically OK. Enough interesting personalities that you MIGHT not flip to something else.
Sportsnet panel: painful to watch (so why would you?)

Factor in the blackouts/regional restrictions (why do I get the Oilers in Calgary, and Flames in Edmonton??? I get the game is on, but you're just pissing me off not encouraging me to go to the game or the bar to watch it), and having the game on horrible low-def, hard to find channels (seriously SN360, what the hell picture is that?)


It probably does have something to do with the current state of most Canadian teams. It probably also does have something to do with the web content/game center. But it also definitely has something to do with the product and what they're putting out there.

[GirlySports]

yeah I agree with most here. Rogers doesn't make hockey appointment viewing.
Hockey (like baseball) has become a regional sport and Rogers is trying to broadcast in a national style which doesn't work.

In the past, a Flames fan would watch Toronto or Montreal on Saturday night because it was the only night they were on. Now why would you watch Toronto at all when they're on every night?

In baseball there is one FOX national Saturday Game and a Sunday night and Wednesday night(?) espn game and that's it. Everything else are HUGE regional contracts.