The NHL was checked into the boards by the NFL on Sunday.
Sunday’s Blackhawks/Red Wings game, the first Sunday afternoon NHL telecast of the season on NBC, drew a 0.8 overnight rating — down 27% from a 1.1 for Rangers/Penguins last year.
Blackhawks/Red Wings aired opposite Cowboys/Vikings on FOX, which drew a 23.9 overnight. Last year’s Rangers/Penguins game took place on the same day as the NFL’s Conference Championships, but did not air directly opposite an NFL game.
The 27% drop for Blackhawks/Red Wings follows a 10% decline in the overnights for the January 1 Winter Classic.
Despite the decline, the NHL on NBC drew a higher overnight rating than both college basketball games on CBS over the weekend.
