Ratings for the NHL All Star Game rose for the second straight year, but cannot begin to approach the Winter Classic.
Versus drew a 0.8 overnight rating for coverage of the NHL All Star Game on Sunday, up 12% from last year, according to USA Today. While it is tough to quibble with a double-digit increase in ratings, the 0.8 is still very unimpressive. As USA Today notes, “six weekend ESPN/ABC X Games shows drew higher ratings than the NHL All-Star Game.”
The 0.8 overnight is also minuscule compared to the much higher-profile Winter Classic, which drew a 2.9 overnight on NBC January 1.
While much of the difference can be attributed to the All Star Game airing on cable (Versus) and the Winter Classic airing on broadcast (NBC), there seems to be a distinct lack of interest in an indoor exhibition game compared to an outdoor game that actually counts. Apparently, the novelty of outdoor hockey is more of a draw than the novelty of an 11-11 score.
