Colorado-Toronto Draws Weak Numbers on Monday, Still Up From 2010

Canadian teams are always a bit of a wild card when it comes to NHL TV ratings in the states, something proven yet again with VERSUS’ odd but appropriate early season choice of a Colorado-Toronto broadcast on Monday night.

The battle of surprising upstarts between the Avs and Leafs drew 218,000 viewers Monday night on VERSUS. While that may not sound like anything setting the world on fire, it was up 5% from last year’s comparable broadcast, which pitted Colorado against … the Rangers (209,000 viewers on 10/18/10). While that game was up against the Yankees in the ALCS, you still have a formidable hockey market in the US, whereas VERSUS does not broadcast in Toronto and their ratings wouldn’t count anyway.

The NHL Live post-game drew 103,000 viewers. That’s up 23% from Hockey Central after that Avs-Rangers game in 2010. Interesting that since the reformat of the show, NHL Live is holding on to more hockey fans than Hockey Central was. NHL Live retained 47% of the game’s average viewers, whereas Hockey Central kept just 38%. NHL Overtime at 10:30 p.m. ET drew 53,000 viewers.

VERSUS Numbers From Monday Night

5:00 p.m. ET, College Football Talk – 37,000
6:00 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Talk – 41,000
7:00 p.m. ET, NHL Live – 55,000
7:30 p.m. ET, Colorado vs. Toronto – 218,000
10:00 p.m. ET, NHL Live – 103,000
10:30 p.m. ET, NHL Overtime – 53,000

(Source: The Voice of TV)