With fewer outdoor games on the schedule, NBC’s regular season NHL viewership declined by double-digits.
Regular season NHL coverage averaged a 0.9 rating and 1.5 million viewers on NBC (13 telecasts), down 12% in ratings and 13% in viewership from last year (1.0, 1.7M). Keep in mind the network aired three outdoor games last season, each of which ranks among the network’s most-watched regular season games. It aired just one outdoor game this season, the least-watched Winter Classic ever.
Compared to the 2012-13 season, when NBC aired zero outdoor games due to the NHL lockout, viewership increased 3% from 1.4 million.
NBC’s final telecast of the season last Saturday earned a season-low 0.5 and 634,000 viewers, tying the second-lowest rating ever for the NHL on broadcast television. That telecast dragged down NBC’s average by nearly 5% — from 1.53 million entering the final weekend of the season to 1.46 million.
Over on NBCSN, the regular season averaged 349,000 viewers — down 1% from last year (351K) and down 11% form 2012-13 (392K).
(Season averages from NBC Sports, Sports Business Daily)
