NHL Has Huge Ratings Hit With U.S.-Canada 4 Nations Face-Off

MONTREAL — The fever that swept social media Saturday night during the U.S.-Canada 4 Nations Face Off game translated to massive viewership for ABC. 

The game broadcast averaged 4.4 million viewers in the U.S., peaking at 5.2 million, according to ESPN. 

That’s the most-viewed non Stanley Cup Final hockey broadcast since 2019. (2024’s Stanley Cup Final Game 7 averaged 7.7 million viewers.) It’s also a 369% bounce from NHL on ABC’s average viewership this season.

The numbers are massive for the NHL’s tournament that replaced this season’s All-Star Game, especially considering the league’s regular-season ratings have been unimpressive, the tournament was brand new this year, and the game went up against the NBA’s All-Star weekend.

The U.S.-Canada viewership number marks a victory for both Disney and the NHL, both of which are hoping to ride the wave of a new era of international competition that begins next year. 

Earlier this week, 4 Nations Face-Off started with strong returns. Team USA’s first game against Finland on Thursday averaged nearly 1.5 million viewers in the U.S., a number that already outstripped any All-Star Game on ABC since it reacquired the rights in 2022. 

The U.S. still has one 4 Nations Face-Off game remaining Monday against Sweden before it plays in the championship game Feb. 20. Its opponent is still not set in stone, but there’s a strong chance the U.S. will rematch with Canada, which needs only a regulation win against Finland to secure its spot.