The NHL Winter Classic was a hit in Buffalo, and went as well as NBC could have expected.
The Penguins’ shootout victory over the Sabres drew a 38.1 rating in Buffalo, the site of the game. That rating is comparable to regular season Buffalo Bills games; a recent Bills/Browns game drew a 46.9.
NBC could not have hoped for better results from the second regular season outdoor game in NHL history. Snow helped contribute to the atmosphere at Ralph Wilson Stadium, and the game itself ended when the biggest star in the league, Sidney Crosby, scored the game winning goal in a shootout.
No matter how high — or low — the final national rating is for the game, any casual fans who tuned in likely have a better opinion of the NHL than they did before, and could be more likely to take in a game later on in the season.
That being said, considering how well everything went for NBC and the NHL, it would be extremely discouraging if this game drew a poor rating. While NBC can be satisfied with a 2.0 rating or higher, a rating close to the 1.1 regular season games averaged last season would make the Classic a major TV disappointment. With the Capital One Bowl between Michigan and Florida having been a close contest, the likelihood of disappointing ratings has only increased.
In other NHL/NBC related news, NBC picked its first flexible schedule game of the season, announcing during the Winter Classic broadcast that it would televise Bruins/Rangers on January 20.
