NBCSN averaged 349,000 viewers for 91 NHL game telecasts during the '14-15 season, down slightly from 351,000 viewers over 88 games last season. The audience still marks the cable net's third-best audience since acquiring NHL rights prior to the '05-06 season. Only last season and the lockout-shortened '12-13 season rank higher. NBCSN did see a small gain (+1%) for its "Wednesday Night Rivalry" telecasts (565,000 vs 559,000 viewers). The Wednesday night window drew seven of NBCSN's 10 most-viewed games this season. For all NBCSN games this season, Buffalo topped local markets, followed by Boston and Pittsburgh. The Flyers-Bruins season opener (956,000 viewers) was NBCSN's most-viewed telecast and best for a season opener since at least '93. It also is tied as NBCSN's most-viewed NHL regular-season game on record. Meanwhile, heading into the final weekend, NBC was seeing a 9% viewership drop for games on the broadcast channel. NBC could end up with its lowest season average for the NHL since the introduction of the Winter Classic in '07-08. Figures for the final telecast this past Saturday were not available at presstime. NBC this season also saw its lowest audience yet for the annual New Year's Day Winter Classic.
|
NHL REGULAR-SEASON AUDIENCE TREND ON BROADCAST TV
|
|
SEASON
|
NET
|
GAMES
|
VIEWERS (000)
|
|
'14-15**
|
NBC
|
12
|
1,532
|
|
'13-14
|
NBC
|
13
|
1,683
|
|
'12-13*
|
NBC
|
13
|
1,473
|
|
'11-12
|
NBC
|
12
|
1,580
|
|
'10-11
|
NBC
|
11
|
1,621
|
|
'09-10
|
NBC
|
10
|
1,560
|
|
'08-09
|
NBC
|
10
|
1,530
|
|
'07-08^
|
NBC
|
10
|
1,400
|
|
'06-07
|
NBC
|
9
|
1,344
|
|
'05-06
|
NBC
|
6
|
1,376
|
|
'04-05
|
NHL Lockout-Cancelled Season
|
|
'03-04
|
ABC
|
5
|
1,547
|
|
'02-03
|
ABC
|
5
|
1,656
|
|
'01-02
|
ABC
|
5
|
1,999
|
|
NHL REGULAR-SEASON AUDIENCE TREND ON CABLE TV
|
|
SEASON
|
NET
|
GAMES
|
VIEWERS (000)
|
|
'14-15
|
NBCSN
|
91
|
349
|
|
'13-14
|
NBCSN
|
88
|
351
|
|
'12-13*
|
NBCSN
|
57
|
392
|
|
'11-12
|
NBCSN
|
90
|
332
|
|
'10-11
|
NBCSN
|
53
|
348
|
|
'09-10
|
NBCSN
|
52
|
297
|
|
'08-09
|
NBCSN
|
54
|
318
|
|
'07-08
|
NBCSN
|
56
|
272
|
|
'06-07
|
NBCSN
|
58
|
212
|
|
'05-06
|
NBCSN
|
56
|
162
|
|
'04-05
|
NHL Lockout-Cancelled Season
|
|
'03-04
|
ESPN2
|
n/a
|
209
|
|
|
|
|
|
NOTES: * = Lockout-shortened season (no Winter Classic). ^ = First season with Winter Classic. ** = Excludes final regular season broadcast figures, which was regionalized. Number was not available at presstime.
