It is only a temporary problem, but the NHL’s late night TNT schedule has not been a ratings hit.
Wednesday’s Stars-Golden Knights NHL regular season game averaged just 199,000 viewers on TNT, down 43% from Flyers-Avalanche on NBCSN in a similar timeslot two years ago (351K) and the second-smallest audience of the season. Maple Leafs-Kings drew 126,000 two weeks ago.
Due to its All-Elite Wrestling commitments, TNT’s NHL schedule has consisted solely of 10 PM ET games since the second week of the season. Unlike the NBA, which generally draws better after 10 PM, late night NHL games have long failed to rate.
TNT’s seven solo 10 PM ET games have averaged 235,000 viewers, up 6% from 222,000 for six late night NBCSN games over the same period in 2019. Keep in mind those 2019 NHL games aired immediately after other NHL games, lead-ins that — even with a smaller audience — were a better fit than AEW is currently. Even so, it seems clear that simply being on TNT — a more familiar channel than NBCSN — is not enough to substantially overcome traditional viewing habits.
In all seven weeks TNT has aired a solo 10 PM ET game, the actual game has averaged fewer viewers than the pregame segment, though that can be explained by the fact that the pregame has a direct lead-in from AEW. The drop-off from AEW to the games has been sharp, with the NHL trailing the wrestling series by at least 60 percent each week.
By comparison, in the two weeks TNT carried an NHL doubleheader, the late game lost 36% (week one) and 27% (week two) of the early game audience.
The late night struggles will ultimately be a moot point as AEW is set to move over to TBS in January, at which point TNT will begin carrying regular NHL doubleheaders.
NHL on TNT late night viewership compared to lead-ins
