The NHL’s Winter Classic was not as big of a home run as in previous years.
The Flyers/Bruins game from Fenway Park drew a 2.1 final rating on NBC New Year’s Day, down 16% from a 2.5 for Red Wings/Blackhawks from Wrigley Field last year, and down 5% from a 2.2 for Penguins/Sabres from Ralph Wilson Stadium in ’08.
Viewership for the game was not immediately available.
The 2.1 rating is the lowest in the three-year history of the NHL Winter Classic. That said, the 2.1 rating is still the third-highest for any regular season NHL game since ’99.
In the early afternoon timeslot, the Winter Classic finished fourth among its sports competition — behind the Capital One Bowl on ABC (6.8), the Gator Bowl on CBS (3.9) and the Outback Bowl on ESPN (3.5).
