While the ratings could not compare to other sporting events, or even to the NHL’s own Winter Classic, the NHL All Star Game had a solid increase in ratings on Versus.
The NHL All Star Game drew a 0.6 U.S. rating (0.9 cable rating) and 1.1 million viewers on Versus Sunday evening, up 20% and 36% respectively from a 0.5 (0.8 cable) and 852,000 viewers for last year’s game. This marks the highest rated, most viewed NHL All Star Game since 2004, the last year the game aired on broadcast.
The All Star Game saw hefty increases among key male demographics, including a 53% increase among Men 18-34. For the night, Versus was the #2 cable network in the Men 18-34 and Men 18-49 demographics.
Locally, the All Star Game made Versus the #1 cable network in Boston, Buffalo, Minneapolis, Pittsburgh and St. Louis. In Washington, the game drew a 1.5 rating, good for a seventh place finish among metered markets. On the flip side, the game drew a mere 0.4 in Dallas.
Saturday night’s festivities were also a ratings success. The Honda NHL SuperSkills Competition drew a 0.5 U.S. rating (0.7 cable) and 875,000 viewers on Versus Saturday evening, up 67% and 45% from a 0.3 and 665,000 viewers in ’08.
