NHL viewership fell to multi-year lows during the regular season.
The 2016-17 NHL regular season averaged 467,000 viewers across NBC and NBCSN, down 7% from last year (503K) and down 5% from 2015 (503K). That does not include streaming, which boosted the average to 475,000 — down 6% from last year (505K).
Coverage on the NBC broadcast network averaged 1.2 million viewers over 15 games, down 20% from 11 windows last year (1.5M) and down 16% from 13 two years ago (1.5M). It was the least-watched NHL season on a broadcast network in at least seven years and probably further back.
NBC finished its season with 665,000 for Capitals-Bruins last Saturday, down 52% from Penguins-Flyers last year (1.4M) but up 5% from regional action in 2015 (634K). Ratings also fell 47% year-over-year (from .85 to. 45). All 12 indoor NHL games on NBC this season failed to crack a 1.0 rating, compared to six of eight last year.
On NBCSN, regular season games averaged 336,000 viewers — down 11% from last year (378K), down 4% from two years ago (349K) and the smallest average since 2011-12 (332K).
The network’s final Wednesday Night Rivalry telecast of the season, Rangers-Capitals on April 5, pulled 389,000 viewers — down 52% from the final Wednesday night game last year between the Flyers and Red Wings (816K) and down 20% from the 2015 finale between the Bruins and Capitals (488K). It also scored 148,000 for Senators-Bruins and 115,000 for Blackhawks-Ducks last Thursday and 219,000 for Lightning-Canadiens last Friday.
Though viewership declined on average, NBC and NBCSN grossed 39.5 million viewers over the course of the season (who watched at least six minutes of any game) — up 7% from last year (36.8M). The networks aired five more games than last year (110 to 105).
(Season avg. from NBC Sports; wknd. numbers via ShowBuzz Daily 4.11)
