NBC Flat With Last Year, May Again Draw All-Time Network Low
March 22, 2011 5 Comments
NBC’s broadcast of Sunday’s controversial Rangers-Penguins game drew a season-low 0.7 overnight rating, according to Sports Business Daily (reg. required). This was even with last season’s comparable broadcast of Rangers-Bruins (3/21/10), which ended with a final rating of 0.5, tying the NHL record for lowest-rated game ever on broadcast television.
The NHL On NBC has averaged a 1.1 so far this season, down 9% from last year’s 1.2 at this point. The network returns with another Rangers-Flyers game on April 3rd at 12:30 PM ET.
NHL On NBC Overnights This Season
January 1 – Washington vs. Pittsburgh: 2.8
January 23 – Philadelphia vs. Chicago: 1.1
February 6 – Pittsburgh vs. Washington: 1.0
February 13 – Boston vs. Detroit: 0.9
February 20 – Regional Coverage*: 1.2
February 20 – Pittsburgh vs. Chicago*: 1.2
March 6 – Philadelphia vs. NY Rangers: 0.9
March 13 – Chicago vs. Washington: 0.9
March 20 – NY Rangers vs. Pittsburgh: 0.7
Season-to-Date Average: 1.1
NHL on NBC Overnights for 2009-10 Season
Jan. 1, Philadelphia vs. Boston*: 2.6
Jan. 17, Chicago vs. Detroit: 0.8
Jan. 24, Pittsburgh vs. Philadelphia: 1.3
Jan. 31, Detroit vs. Pittsburgh: 1.2
Feb. 7, Pittsburgh vs. Washington: 1.3
Mar. 7, Detroit vs. Chicago: 1.2
Mar. 14, Washington vs. Chicago: 1.0
Mar. 21, NY Rangers vs. Boston: 0.7
Season-to-Date-Average: 1.2
About stevelepore
That is not good. But don’t worry, next year will be different by then when the NFL and NBA go into lockouts and the NHL on NBC will do doubleheaders and regional coverage to get the ratings back up.
First of all, in many parts of the U.S., it was a nice day outside; who wants to be stuck inside watching hockey?
Second, of course you had the NCAA’s on CBS.
Finally, so much for the theory that large U.S. TV markets give the league its’ high (high for hockey, that is) ratings.
With no Sidney Crosby, or any other superstars for that matter, on the ice on Sunday I can see why it drew a low rating.
Don’t forget that NBC games are on way too early. Nobody is up at 9:30am on Sunday on the west coast to watch a game, especially considering that west coast teams are never invited to NBC’s games.
When will NBC wake up to the fact that the Rangers are ratings cancer? For a team with no superstars that isn’t a ratings draw, in a TV market that is balkanized, the Rangers seem to feeding NBC’s ego more than what would be good for the fans and ratings.
I’d love to see what the ratings in the New York market were just to see how they trend vs. Philly, Pittsburgh, Chicago, DC, and Boston. Or Buffalo even. A 50 share in Buffalo probably is better than a 1.5 in New York.