NBC earned a 2.1 fast national rating for the Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic Monday from Citizens Bank Park, tying it with the '10 edition as the lowest-rated event since it was first played in '08. Monday's Rangers-Flyers game averaged 3.74 million viewers, up from the 3.68 million viewers that watched the game two years ago, the last time it was played in the afternoon (THE DAILY). YAHOO SPORTS' Greg Wyshynski noted the Jan. 2 date and the shift in start time from 1pm ET to 3pm "provide enough cover for the drop" in ratings from the '11 event. If there is "any lesson to be learned here, it's the venue still matters." If nothing else, it creates an "argument for The Big House over Comerica in Michigan" as the site of next year's game and for the NHL to "get a little adventurous in its booking for 2013." This game is "increasingly becoming un-tethered to its TV ratings, like the All-Star Game has." It is "all about the revenue generated onsite and online" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 1/3).
| NHL WINTER CLASSIC RATINGS TREND ON NBC |
| YEAR | MATCHUP | RATING | VIEWERS (000) |
| '12 | Rangers-Flyers | 2.1 | 3.740 |
| '11 | Capitals-Penguins | 2.3 | 4,525 |
| '10 | Flyers-Bruins | 2.1 | 3,684 |
| '09 | Red Wings-Blackhawks | 2.5 | 4,401 |
| '08 | Penguins-Sabres | 2.2 | 3,751 |
CONSPIRACY THEORY: In N.Y., Jeff Klein notes Rangers coach John Tortorella after the game "suggested that the game’s officials had conspired with the league to force his team’s contest with the Flyers
into overtime, noting supposed noncalls involving Philadelphia and what he regarded as invented penalty calls against the Rangers." While the contest was "packed with drama, in part because of the late penalty calls, going into overtime would have sent the game past 6 p.m., a less-than-desirable outcome for NBC." Affiliates would have been "irked if the game cut into local news shows." NBC declined to comment on Tortorella's statement (
N.Y. TIMES, 1/4). ESPN’s J.A. Adande said of Tortorella, "He’s not sure if NBC got together with the refs? Well, I’m certain they did not. That type of thing does not happen. When coaches imply it does it creates doubt in the minds of the fans. He should be fined heavily” (
“Around The Horn,” ESPN, 1/3). ESPN’s Michael Wilbon said, “You cannot have your own personnel suggesting a conspiracy because people are out there listening and they want to hear this kind of thing. It is sinister and has to be taken seriously, and so Gary Bettman has to take it seriously too” (
"PTI," ESPN, 1/3).
HEADING NORTH? The CP's Chris Johnston noted the Maple Leafs "want in on the Winter Classic," though one hurdle to having the team "participate is the fact that broadcaster NBC might not be happy losing a second U.S. viewing market." The TV ratings for Monday’s game were "lower in America than the previous three years." Leafs President & GM Brian Burke told one of his Twitter followers Monday that "cameras would only be allowed behind the scenes with the team if it were ahead of an outdoor game." Burke wrote, "If it’s part of a Winter Classic, we will do it" (
CP, 1/3).
REACHING HOMES IN PHILLY: Comcast SportsNet's broadcast of the Winter Classic alumni game Saturday afternoon was the top show in its time period in the Philadelphia market. The game delivered a 6.2 HH rating, with "Pregame Live" delivering a 2.3 HH rating and "Postgame Live" delivering a 3.7 HH rating. Meanwhile, the Winter Classic pregame show on the net averaged a 0.9 rating, while the postgame show brought in a 0.4 rating (Comcast SportsNet).
