The NHL regular season resumes this week after its Winter Olympics break. Heading into the break, new network partner NBC, through four broadcasts, was even with or above ratings for select demos posted by ABC in 2003-04 through four games. Cable partner OLN's marks are down from ESPN and flat with ESPN2 through its first 40 games, but its 0.2 average is double what the net posted for its non-NHL, year earlier program.
| NETWORK | | | |
| NBC (2005-06) | ABC (2003-04) | Change |
| Avg. rating/share | 1.1/3 | 1.1/3 | 0.0% |
| Men 18-34 | 0.8 | 0.7 | +14.3% |
| Men 18-49 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 0.0% |
| Men 25-54 | 0.9 | 0.8 | +12.5% |
| | | | |
| CABLE | | | |
| OLN (2005-06) | ESPN (2003-04) | ESPN2 (2003-04) |
| Avg. rating (No. of HHs) | 0.2 (122,996) | 0.5 (468,000) | 0.2 (190,000) |
| Men 18-34 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 0.2 |
| Men 18-49 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 0.2 |
| Men 25-54 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 0.2 |
| | | | |
| Notes: Cable marks are coverage-area ratings. ESPN2 did not have exclusivity in the 2003-04 season, meaning the network’s games were blacked out in the markets of the local teams. OLN does have exclusivity this year; local cable networks are not allowed to air games that are carried by OLN. |
| Source: Networks |
| Research by Katherine Johnson-Reid, SportsBusiness Daily |
