NHL (NBC) outdraws NBA (ABC)

[Karim]

The NHL telecast on NBC (Boston Bruins-Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Rangers-New York Islanders regionally) drew a larger national audience than ABC's National Basketball Association telecast (Phoenix Suns-Sacramento Kings). Each network earned a 1.0 rating (percentage of households tuned in), but NBC pulled in a larger audience share (percentage of time that people spent watching the telecast), 3 compared with 2. In total viewership, NBC outdrew ABC 1.31 million to 1.26 million.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20070329.wspt-truth-29/TPStory/Sports/columnists

This certainly dispels the myth that nobody watches hockey in the US. I wonder what the viewership numbers would be if you included the entire North American audience (as suggested by Mark Cuban) for both sports, if you included Center Ice subscribers and if you included all those who choose to watch the HNIC broadcast.

[MizzouRah]

Doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that the NHL is better than the NBA. http://www.operationsports.com/fofc/images/smilies/biggrin.gif

[WVUFAN]

Doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that the NHL is better than the NBA. http://www.operationsports.com/fofc/images/smilies/biggrin.gif

He's joking, but it's the truth.

[Schmidty]

[Url] I wonder what the viewership numbers would be if you included the entire North American audience (as suggested by Mark Cuban) for both sports, if you included Center Ice subscribers and if you included all those who choose to watch the HNIC broadcast.


I had no idea that SD had a broadcasting network, nor did I know that he liked ice hockey.

I love hockey, but basketball is, and always will be, better, more athletic, and interesting than hockey to me.





(Maybe because I can ball, but I can't skate. Who knows.)

[Vinatieri for Prez]

(Maybe because I can ball, but I can't skate. Who knows.)

give it a try. soon you'll learn how "to puck.":)

[MizzouRah]

He's joking, but it's the truth.

Actually, I didn't want to offend the few NBA fans we have here. :D

All kidding aside, I love the NHL.. watch it every time it's on. I wish I could see more Pittsburgh games!

[Daimyo]

This certainly dispels the myth that nobody watches hockey in the US.
I think its the opposite... IMO it is just more evidence that the NBA has lost almost all its popularity. I believe those are XFL level numbers.

[Deattribution]

It doesn't really dispel the myth that nobody watches hockey, it just shows nobody watches NHL or the NBA. A rerun of CSI gets 25x the viewership of either.

Infact, I can't think of anything that either NBC or ABC (or CBS for that matter) airs that gets such dismal ratings - anything else would be canceled after the first showing (that's for both the NBA and NHL).

[Deattribution]

I believe those are XFL level numbers.

Worse, even the XFL was pulling in 1.5 at it's lowest (along with some 3's, 5's as it declined), although they were different time slots.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Holy crap. TNA Wrestling on Spike gets numbers in the same range.

On a sidenote, there's a buggy quote in that snippet
(percentage of time that people spent watching the telecast)

Share = people watching a show divided by all persons using television at that time. In other words, share is just what percent of TV viewers at a given moment are watching program X (i.e. their "share" of the viewing pie).
Has nothing to do with how long people watched something, as the wording implied.

[Pyser]

pop the champagne! we're coming back, baby!!

hockey 4ever!

[JonInMiddleGA]

Y'know, looking at that numbers again, I can't help but wonder how long until one of the networks takes a shot at putting MMA on Sunday afternoons.
I have to imagine it could be had for far less than the NBA or the NHL and seems very likely to put up better numbers.