Gary Bettman on NHL’s U.S. TV ratings: ‘Viewership, overall, is up nationally’
National Hockey League commissioner Gary Bettman spoke to the media Saturday in a press conference prior to the 2023 NHL All-Star Game in Sunrise, Florida. Bettman is celebrating 30 years on the job this weekend after being named the NHL’s first commissioner in 1993.
NHL U.S. TV national viewership is down 22% this season, per findings from @AustinKarp.
NHL regular games to date have averaged 373,000 viewers on ESPN/TNT, 2nd season of the league’s 7-year pact with Disney & Turner.
NHL averaged 478,000 viewers at this point last season.
There were a number of topics floated Saturday and Bettman spoke on the viral television ratings that were revealed in a report indicating that the NHL’s average viewership in the United States was down from 478,000 to 373,000 this season, a whopping 22 percent. The report also stated that one of the main reasons the NHL has seen such a decline in year-to-year viewership is due to regional blackouts via TNT as well as competition with the NFL on weekends.
Bettman was quick to answer the question regarding the T.V. ratings: “Let’s not get too carried away with ratings. Viewership is up nationally.“ Bettman said. He mentioned briefly how the ratings with ESPN are not an issue and that with the NFL season winding down, the ratings will continue to improve and be on the rise. In regards to blackout games, Bettman said,” TNT will have a ratings impact because they take on locally blacked out games. Both partners are thrilled and we’re thrilled with the job they’re doing for us.”
NHL Deputy commissioner Bill Daly also spoke on the T.V. ratings matter, “Viewership is up 27 percent across the board” including ESPN+, TNT, and all national outlets.” The league will also be showcasing games on the ABC Network.
On the other hand, the NHL has seen a major increase in social media engagement which in part is due to the significant success of the fan voting system via Twitter. Fans were able to use their Twitter accounts to retweet, like and tweet about their favorite players and help get them into the All-Star Weekend. The NHL’s social media engagement is up 224 percent year-over-year according to the report.