The NHL earned its biggest regular season audience since 1975 for Saturday’s NHL Winter Classic.
Capitals/Penguins earned a 2.3 final rating and 4.5 million viewers on NBC Saturday night, according to Nielsen fast-nationals — up 10% in ratings and 22% in viewership from last year (PHI/BOS: 2.1, 3.684 mil), and down 8% and up 2%, respectively, from 2009 (DET/CHI: 2.5, 4.401 mil).
This marks the second-highest rated and single-most viewed NHL Winter Classic in history (four telecasts).
Moreover, the game ranks as the most-viewed regular season NHL telecast on any network since February 1975 (PHI/NYR: 5.4 mil, NBC). The previous high was set by the aforementioned 2009 Winter Classic.
The Winter Classic now accounts for four of the five most-viewed regular season telecasts since 1975. The only non-Winter Classic telecast in the top five is regional action on FOX in January ’96.
Pittsburgh was far and away the top market for the game, with a 32.0. Washington, D.C., was a very distant second, with a 7.6. Baltimore (6.6), Buffalo (5.3) and St. Louis and Denver (4.3 each) rounded out the top five.
Saturday’s game was originally scheduled for a 1 PM ET start, but was pushed back to 8 PM due to inclement weather.
Ratings/Viewership For Every NHL Winter Classic
| Year | Date | Game | Venue | Net | Rating | Viewers (000) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
2011
|
Sat., 1/1/11 | WSH 3, PIT 1 | Heinz Field | NBC |
2.3
|
4,500
|
|
2010
|
Fri., 1/1/10 | PHI 1, BOS 2 | Fenway Park | NBC |
2.1
|
3,684
|
|
2009
|
Thu., 1/1/09 | DET 6, CHI 4 | Wrigley Field | NBC |
2.5
|
4,401
|
|
2008
|
Tue., 1/1/08 | PIT 2, BUF 1 | Ralph Wilson Stadium | NBC |
2.2
|
3,751
|
(NBC press release from TV By The Numbers)
