It went down 37 percent compared to last years finals

Is this proof the NHL made a mistake with this new TV contract letting ABC and TNT alternate the finals each year. I think only half can only watch the finals when its on TNT (cable) then when its on ABC (broadcast TV)

These numbers dont include watching it through streaming like Hulu live TV or Sling

Or is it because there isnt a big market for the two teams playing

Not really a surprise. Considering the 2 teams in the finals and the networks airing it (in US), only the diehards are watching this one, not the casual fans.

Its a shame that Golden Knights vs Panthers Stanley Cup Finals get not enough viewing exposure, It deserves better than this.

It doesn’t seem that long but the Las Vegas team has been around for five years. But still this has to be a major league record of the youngest franchise making it to the championship game. I don’t know about NHL but it takes seemingly decades for new franchises of other sports leagues to make the championship.

Vegas made it to the Stanley Cup Finals in their inaugural season. Their 13 playoff wins en route to the 2018 Stanley Cup Finals are the most for a team during their inaugural postseason run. They have made the playoffs 5 out of their 6 seasons. Not many expansion franchises in any sports have had that much immediate success.

I'm not surprised by the low ratings. These two teams don't have big fan bases outside their local markets. It wouldn't have made much difference if they were on ABC.

I'm a little surprised the Heat/Nuggets NBA Finals are getting strong ratings. Miami and Denver are smaller makets compared to last season.

It wouldn't have made much difference if they were on ABC.


If they were on ESPN, and we could crank up the ESPN publicity/hype machine, and toss a game or two on ABC, while nothing earthshaking, I bet we could increase the number by a million or two.

Which teams have the largest fan base? I take it would be a New York/Chicago/Los Angeles/Boston team. Everyone else is fairly small market. Maybe not Toronto but most everyone else.

I also argue that hockey is more or less a regional sport played in Canada and the Northeastern USA. Some sunbelt cities have teams only because enough Northerners have moved there to make a fan base. No one in Florida is watching hockey except for the New York transplants.

In the past, more people followed the NHL has a whole. Now, more people follow their local teams and not the NHL.

This is something I have been doing a lot of thinking about, and I trace this lack of interest in the entire sport to the last labour dispute.

There is also the issue of blackouts during the season.