The NHL was the most-watched live sporting event on a quiet December Wednesday.
TNT averaged 538,000 viewers for a Bruins-Devils NHL regular season game Wednesday night, the largest live sports audience of the day and more-than-double last year’s equivalent window (Red Wings-Wild: 259K). The Sabres-Avalanche nightcap averaged 244,000, up 25% from an all-Canadian Canucks-Flames game a year ago (195K).
NHL games are now averaging 471,000 viewers across ESPN and TNT this season, up a third from the same point of last year (355K). Last year’s average includes four ESPN games on NFL Sundays. Excluding those, this year’s average is still up 27% from last year’s 372,000.
Dating back to November 1, 13 of 16 NHL windows that can be compared to last year have posted an increase in viewership. All-but-one of those increases has been by double-digits and all-but-two have been by at least a quarter. (Four other games aired in windows that were not utilized last season.)
In other Wednesday action, a Lakers-Spurs NBA regular season game averaged 466,000 viewers on NBA TV — the network’s fourth-largest audience this season. San Antonio has played in two of the top four.
ESPN averaged 454,000 for the premiere of its new 30 For 30 documentary “The Minister of Defense,” about the life and career of Reggie White — up 9% from “Jeannette Lee vs.” on the dame date last year (416K). It was the second 30 For 30 premiere this week, following “The Great Heisman Race of 1997” on Saturday. That episode, which aired immediately following the Heisman Trophy Presentation, averaged 1.21 million.
Leading into the 30 For 30, the SEC football schedule release averaged 421,000 — exceeding the NFL schedule release on ESPN2 and NFL Network in May (355K).
Wednesday, December 13 sports ratings
Updated chart:
Original chart below:
