NHL All-Star Game ratings bounced back from last year’s lull, while the previous night’s Skills Competition saw a year-over-year dip.
Saturday’s NHL All-Star Game averaged a 1.0 rating and 1.5 million viewers on ABC, up 56% in ratings and 31% in viewership from last year (0.62, 1.15M) but down 3% and 12% respectively from three years ago, the last time the game aired on NBC (1.0, 1.7M).
As one would expect, the All-Star Game ranks second for the NHL season behind only the Winter Classic on TNT January 2 (1.78M).
Despite the big increase, this year’s audience is still the second-lowest for the All-Star Game since 2015 (1.19M). Viewership reached as high as 2.26 million in 2017, the first year NBC carried the game in primetime.
NHL All-Star Game ratings, viewership (2002-present)
In other action, Friday’s NHL Skills Challenge averaged a 0.47 and 1.02 million on ESPN — down 18% in ratings and 6% in viewership from last year (0.57, 1.09M). Compared to the last time the event aired on NBCSN three years ago, viewership rose 23% from 835,000 (keep in mind out-of-home viewing was not included in Nielsen estimates).
The NHL entered the All-Star break with a 0.19 and 320,000 for Hurricanes-Sabres on TNT last Wednesday. There was no comparable window last year. The previous Wednesday (January 25), TNT averaged 453,000 viewers for Rangers-Maple Leafs and 181,000 for Blue Jackets-Oilers — down 6% and 53% respectively from last year (Blackhawks-Red Wings: 484K; Bruins-Avalanche: 383K).
Per Sports Business Journal, NHL games were averaging 373,000 across ESPN and TNT entering February — down 26% from the same point last season (505K). ESPN averaged 402,000 viewers for its 16 games, down 35% from last year (622K for seven games), and TNT averaged 359,000 for its first 36 games (-16%). As noted by SBJ, the declines can be at least partially explained by the schedule; TNT has aired seven games that were blacked out in local markets and ESPN aired six games that aired on NFL Sundays.
(Nielsen estimates from ShowBuzz Daily 2.7, Sports Business Journal 1.31)
