Facing tougher competition from the Major League Baseball playoffs, the NHL season got off to a slower start.
Wednesday’s Rangers/Blackhawks NHL regular season game earned a 0.6 final rating and 925,000 viewers on NBCSN, flat in ratings and down 3% in viewership from Flyers/Bruins last year (0.6, 956K), and up a tick and down 1%, respectively, from Capitals/Blackhawks in 2013 (0.5, 935K).
Keep in mind coverage aired opposite the Cubs/Pirates MLB playoff game on TBS (5.0, 8.3M), while last year’s game faced no such competition.
The Rangers’ win ranks as the least-watched NHL season opener since Flyers/Bruins in 2011 (874K). With that said, it is also tied as the highest rated NHL telecast ever on NBCSN (previously VERSUS and OLN) and ranks as the fourth-most watched. The only games to earn a larger audience were the previously mentioned Flyers/Bruins and Capitals/Blackhawks games, as well as Bruins/Rangers in January 2013 (956K).
The Sharks/Kings nightcap drew 396,000 viewers, down 11% from the same matchup last year (446K).
