Ratings slipped again for the NHL on NBC. In other news, the EPL on NBC could not match last year’s season-high, and ratings and viewership soared for a USA men’s soccer friendly.
Another Decline For NHL on NBC
- NBC earned a 0.8 final rating and 1.2 million viewers for the Blackhawks/Blues NHL regular season game last Sunday, down a tick in ratings from Kings/Red Wings in 2013 (0.9). There was no game last year due to the Winter Olympics. So far this season, three of the four NHL telecasts on NBC have earned less than a 1.0 rating — and all four have had year-over-year declines in ratings. (via Sports Business Daily)
Double-Digit Drop For EPL on NBC
- Last Saturday’s Everton/Liverpool English Premier League match drew a 0.7 final rating and 979,000 viewers on NBC, down 22% in ratings and 21% in viewership from Cardiff/Swansea City last year (0.9, 1.2M). Keep in mind that last year’s match, which led into coverage of the Olympics, was NBC’s most-watched of the season. The match was not the top soccer telecast of the weekend, trailing Liga MX coverage on Univision (992K). (via Sports Business Daily)
USA Men’s Friendly Up Big
- Last Sunday’s Panama/United States men’s soccer friendly, the second U.S. national team match of the year, drew a 0.4 final rating and 674,000 viewers on ESPN — up 100% in ratings and 117% in viewership from last year’s second match against Ukraine, which aired on a weeknight on ESPN2 (0.2, 311K). Sunday’s telecast easily topped the first national team match of the year, a January 28 meeting with Chile on Fox Sports 1 (0.2, 254K). Earlier in the day, the United States/France women’s soccer friendly drew a 0.2 and 294,000 on ESPN2. (via Awful Announcing)
