After seeing a nearly 22% drop in television viewership in the first half of the NHL season, ESPN and TNT have seen gains as the race to the Stanley Cup Playoffs heats up.
Games airing on ABC are up 19% from a season ago, with last weekend’s game between the Detroit Red Wings and Boston Bruins garnering an average of 1.1 million viewers. That number makes it the second-most viewed game on ABC this year, only behind the Stadium Series contest between the Washington Capitals and Carolina Hurricanes.
The second game in ABC’s doubleheader Saturday — featuring the Philadelphia Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins — also eclipsed the 1 million viewer mark.
ESPN+ also saw it’s most-watched game last week, as the Edmonton Oilers defeated the Boston Bruins in a streaming-only broadcast.
“We’re in the final quarter of our season and the Playoffs push is on. There are tight races in both Conferences, and the 2022-23 campaign is on pace to be the highest scoring season in 27 years,” said NHL Senior Executive Vice President of Media & International Strategy David Proper.
“It’s an exciting time of the year, and our outstanding product on the ice combined with the tremendous job that our valued partners ESPN and TNT are doing to engage and entertain fans, is demonstrated in strong viewership numbers.”
TNT’s audience for Sunday broadcasts has also grown a reported 42% from last season.
The deal between the NHL, TNT, and ESPN is in the closing stages of its second of a seven-year deal.
