NHL National Viewership Down 22% in the U.S. - Page 2 - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

nik- · 02-01-2023, 09:23 AM

Last week's Toronto Detroit game on ESPN on a Thursday didn't even get a half a million people.

UKflames · 02-01-2023, 10:06 AM

The new digital ad boards are about as popular as the comet puck they tried previously, man that was bad.

CorsiHockeyLeague · 02-01-2023, 10:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Draug

Heh ... Maybe they hate the overlayed digital boards as much as I do.

Quote:

Originally Posted by dissentowner

People are fed up with poor officiating and game management.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bend it like Bourgeois

I’d guess the tankathon plays a role.

None of this matters. The only thing that's really affecting this in any significant way is marketing.

EN FUEGO · 02-01-2023, 10:21 AM

My friend who is a season ticket holder in Denver cannot watch any of the Avs road games due to a dispute between Altitude and his cable provider or something like that. I'm sure stuff like that is playing a role.

https://denvergazette.com/sports/com...b20c5b4a1.html

Draug · 02-01-2023, 10:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CorsiHockeyLeague

None of this matters. The only thing that's really affecting this in any significant way is marketing.

Well, it does matter. The marketing is reduced as a whole because I, and must be some other viewers too, watch less than I used to just because of the annoyance factor.

In the past, I'd watch a Pitt/Wsh game as an example, because it's a good rival, entertaining, and enjoyable to do so. Now, I'm so annoyed at the crappy broadcast that I chose to go do something else with my time.

Assuming I'm not the only one, the audience that can be marketed to is now smaller, so it does matter.

Paulie Walnuts · 02-01-2023, 10:25 AM

The NHL has been poor are marketing star players but it also doesn't help the guy that should be marketed is stuck in a dump in Edmonton and has the personality of a cardboard.

The NHL is also just poor at marketing and taking advantage of holidays to schedule game.

Strange Brew · 02-01-2023, 10:26 AM

378000 for national broadcasts? Wow that is abysmal. Outside of Canada, hockey is purely regional it seems. You follow your local team and that is it.

I love the espn+ platform, but only because it gives me access to Flames games. I'm generally only watching the national broadcast if it's a Flames game.

I wonder how much this viewership is out of line with the models used by Disney et al to buy the rights.

Teroy · 02-01-2023, 10:26 AM

We buy Centre Ice so we can watch all he Flames games. Now that's become a waste of money because many games are only shown on Sports Net. Doubt we'll buy it next year.

Derek Sutton · 02-01-2023, 10:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by getbak

You can check the weekly numbers here: https://showbuzzdaily.com/articles/t...ball-tvratings

Quote:

Originally Posted by EN FUEGO

My friend who is a season ticket holder in Denver cannot watch any of the Avs road games due to a dispute between Altitude and his cable provider or something like that. I'm sure stuff like that is playing a role.

These are numbers for National broadcasts, not local broadcasts. I mean local blackouts could play a part in the overall apathy towards the NHL however Wednesday night hockey is TNT's flagship broadcast; The reason they are paying millions to 99 to be on the panel. And not only is you friend in Denver not watching, nobody else in the city is either, possibly no-one in the entire state.

taxbuster · 02-01-2023, 10:29 AM

The NHL needs to get rid of blackouts...there was a time (maybe in the 1960s) when that made some kind of sense as TV revenue was low and the big money came from gate revenue. That is and hasn't been the case for years decades now.

In Canada especially, why should ALL BC residents be forced to watch the Canucks? It's ridiculous (and why I have an Alberta-based satellite TV sub).

I don't know how that works in the US, but the NHL continually shoots itself in its own nuts with stupid rules, bad reffing, awful advertising, scheduling and team location. But Gary still makes the owners potfuls of money so he's still in charge.

nik- · 02-01-2023, 10:34 AM

The NHL has a demographics problem, not an ads on the boards problem.

Hockey-and_stuff · 02-01-2023, 10:34 AM

Based on some of the tweets I saw, like Canada you would need multiple subscriptions to view every game due to blackout restrictions in the US.

Why is this still happening? It was annoying in 2014 and it's unacceptable that it is still happening now.

Sent from my SM-G998W using Tapatalk

Buck Murdock · 02-01-2023, 10:35 AM

More fighting!

Yeah_Baby · 02-01-2023, 10:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SilverKast

The league should mandate a move of McDavid to a major US market instead of languishing in Edmonton haha.

In all seriousness though it probably wouldn't hurt to have the most electric talent shown off on a bigger stage. I dislike the Oilers as much as anyone, but for future TV contracts and league revenue wouldn't that be for the best?

Only there more seasons after this one.

calgaryred · 02-01-2023, 10:45 AM

Not surprised game management by refs, the game itself has changed so much its more like basketball on ice. Most penalties you need to be explained why it's a call. The 10 minute reviews for offside, it's too much. I wouldn't be surprised if viewership drops north of the border with all the gambling commercials, and hockey love for McDavid by Rogers.

I miss when games were more regional at least the focus was on your team, not about McDavid at intermission when he's not even playing.

Johnny Makarov · 02-01-2023, 10:48 AM

The product is pretty crappy. The refs are god damn terrrible. Not enough fighting.

and of course no one cares about hockey in the US if they don't have a team in their city.

TheIronMaiden · 02-01-2023, 10:48 AM

Does this have anything to do with cable cutting?

Johnny Makarov · 02-01-2023, 10:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheIronMaiden

Does this have anything to do with cable cutting?

NFL only down 3%. but set records for the AFC championship game last week.

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/...-3-last-season

btimbit · 02-01-2023, 10:53 AM

My viewership dropped a ton, I watch maybe one Flames game a week now, used to have two NHL games on a day at least.

Watching the refs in the playoffs last year call every little thing like it was week one of the season was kinda the last straw for me. The playoffs are supposed to be a grind not a special teams showcase, it took the excitement away. Add in the digital ads and game management in general, I just don't have as much fun with games on anymore

GioforPM · 02-01-2023, 10:53 AM

If I can't see a Flames game on SN when I'm in BC, because of dumb blackouts, and I manage to find another way, I'm pretty sure that doesn't show up in the ratings. same if I for some reason want to see a different team that's blacked out here.

They should just quit the blackouts.