The NBA Is Still Beating The NHL In War For Cable Viewers

[Tugg Speedman]

The NBA Is Still Beating The NHL In War For Cable Viewers

http://www.forbes.com/sites/chrissmith/2014/05/13/the-nba-is-still-beating-the-nhl-in-war-for-cable-viewers/?utm_campaign=forbestwittersf&utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social

Through Saturday night, the NHL played 16 second-round playoff games on cable, compared to 11 for the NBA. According to cable viewership figures, the typical NHL game drew 1.56 million viewers, less than half the average 4.32 million fans who tuned into each NBA playoff game. No NHL game has been watched by more than two million cable viewers, while no NBA game has been watched by fewer than three million.

The NHL’s most-watched game was the series opener between Minnesota and Chicago, which drew 1.95 million viewers. Only two other NHL games managed to break the 1.8 million mark. The NBA’s least-watched game so far was last Thursday’s showdown between Brooklyn and Miami, which was watched by just over 3 million viewers. In other words, even the NBA’s worst cable telecast dwarfed the NHL’s best.

very single second-round NBA playoff game has ranked among the five most-watched cable shows on each day since the league’s conference semi-final round began last Monday. In the NHL, only that one Minnesota-Chicago game managed the same feat; no other second-round NHL game even cracked the top ten.

That said, there’s hope for the NHL. Not to beat the NBA, of course, but to at least close the gap a bit. The New York Rangers and Pittsburgh Penguins face off in a Game 7 Tuesday night, and each team brings a massive, hockey-crazy market to the party. Chicago and Minnesota will play later in the night, and a Wild win would send that much-watched series to a Game 7 of its own.

And then Wednesday night will feature yet another Game 7, this one in the series between the Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadiens. Bruins-Habs has been a great series between two teams with a lot of history, and no love lost, between them. Both Original Six teams have huge fan followings and odds are the series’ final tilt may very well be the league’s most-watched postseason game thus far.

[MUSF]

In other news, the sky is still blue.

[ChicosBailBonds]

I'll take the NHL all day long.  To each their own, last night at the Pond was great.  Go Ducks. 

[barfolomew]

In 2012 the NHL conference semifinals averaged 1.227 million viewers.
This year, *so far*, it's 1.56.

That's pretty impressive growth if you ask me.


http://awfulannouncing.com/2012-articles/nba-nhl-ratings-going-in-different-directions.html

[wadesworld]

In other news, the sky is still blue.

+1.  The NHL sucks.

[MU82]

I like hockey, but it's a "local" sport -- meaning it can be big in a certain community but might not be big just a few miles away.

As big as Bucky Puck is, it's not especially big if you get 25 or more miles away from Madison.

Even in Minnesota, basketball is far more popular than hockey is. More kids play basketball from age 5 on up, and more fans consider themselves hoop fans vs. puck fans.

I live in Charlotte. The NHL team in Raleigh might as well not exist. Everybody in Oregon roots for the Trail Blazers; you think the Predators are big in Knoxville or Memphis?

I'm not knocking the game. It's fun to watch, especially in the playoffs. It just isn't a big national sport. The stars aren't as visible and there is no national equivalent of the Heat (or, in days gone by, the Celtics and Lakers).

[MUSF]

I don don't dislike the NHL, I just think the subject of this thread is insanely obvious. It's like saying Fox News is still beating BBC America in war for cable viewers.

I am a Detroit sports fan. Personally, I like the NBA better than the NHL but I like the Red Wings better than the Pistons. When the Wings are out of the playoffs, I don't pay much attention. I always follow/watch the NBA playoffs.

[77ncaachamps]

Who wants to see LA-Anaheim?!

Btw, BOOOOOOOOOO SHARKS. Smdh

[Tugg Speedman]

As noted in this thread, last week's NFL draft had ratings higher than the highest NBA or NHL playoff game.  Even higher than any MLB game this year.

http://www.muscoop.com/index.php?topic=44091.0

How popular must the NFL be that this country voluntarily watches Mel Kiper get everything wrong four four hours???

[Tugg Speedman]

@darrenrovell 3m

Last Thursday night’s NFL Draft was watched by 671K homes in NYC. Yankees-Mets last night? 488K homes.

[MUsoxfan]

Lots of it comes down to gambling. Basketball is much easier and much more fun to bet on than hockey

The same reason the NFL is king. Gambling (and yes, fantasy football is gambling) is the driving force behind the ratings

[GGGG]

Lots of it comes down to gambling. Basketball is much easier and much more fun to bet on than hockey

The same reason the NFL is king. Gambling (and yes, fantasy football is gambling) is the driving force behind the ratings

I don't believe for one bit that is the reason that the NBA is more watched than the NHL.

And that is really only part of the reason the NFL is king...and was so long before fantasy football.

[MUsoxfan]

Bookies love the NFL dearly and always have

[buckchuckler]

@darrenrovell 3m

Last Thursday night’s NFL Draft was watched by 671K homes in NYC. Yankees-Mets last night? 488K homes.

I don't get the draft thing at all.  Seems really stupid to me. 

[wadesworld]

I don't believe for one bit that is the reason that the NBA is more watched than the NHL.

And that is really only part of the reason the NFL is king...and was so long before fantasy football.

+1

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

I hate the NBA, can't stand the way the game is played night in and night out. Give me the NHL, NFL and NCAA basketball (heck even high school basketball) anyday of the week.

[RushmoreAcademy]

Sad as it may be, there aren't too many sports I won't watch.
Caught myself watching some odd things on a lazy primary sports-less Sunday on the ninth affiliate of ESPN.

[GGGG]

Bookies love the NFL dearly and always have

Right, but the vast majority of people who watch the NFL don't bet on games.

[Brewtown Andy]

Right, but the vast majority of people who watch the NFL don't bet on games.

If you count fantasy football as gambling (money laid out in hopes of getting more back at the end of the season), then you're a lot closer to a vast majority.

[Coleman]

Lots of it comes down to gambling. Basketball is much easier and much more fun to bet on than hockey

The same reason the NFL is king. Gambling (and yes, fantasy football is gambling) is the driving force behind the ratings

Its quite easy to gamble on hockey.

The Blackhawks made me a winner in Vegas a few weeks ago. I much prefer the straight-up bet hockey offers than having to bet on a spread.

This is definitely a good news/bad news thing. Obviously, this is no surprise. The good news is the NHL has become more popular over the last few years. I can attest to this as growing up in Wisconsin, none of us really cared about hockey but I know many of my friends back home have latched on to the Blackhawks or Wild (depending on where they are in the state). It is definitely growing.

As for excitement, give me the NHL playoffs any day of the week over the NBA. But the NBA has been much more firmly entrenched. You have to remember there were only SIX NHL teams until the 1960s. Not as many people grew up watching professional hockey.