• Loading stock data...
Thursday, December 12, 2024
The 2024 Best Employers in Sports Award winners have been announced! See the full list of winners

NHL’s Female Viewership Up 61% This Season

  • ESPN’s female viewers rose 73% during the 2021-22 season.
  • NHL’s overall TV audience up 16%.
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The sports industry boasts a growing number of female hockey proponents, including Barstool Sports chief executive officer Erika Nardini, “Drinks with Binks” host Julie Stewart-Binks, and ESPN anchor Linda Cohn.

Their faith in the sports’ appeal is borne out by intriguing new TV data from the National Hockey League.

The NHL’s female cable TV viewership across ESPN and TNT in the U.S. rose a whopping 61% during the 2021-2022 regular season, according to league spokeswoman Jennifer Neziol. On ESPN alone, women viewers grew 73%.

Bolstered by the shift from NBC Sports/NBCSN to Walt Disney Co’s ABC/ESPN and Turner Sports’ TNT, the NHL recorded its most-watched regular season since 2016-17.

This season’s game telecasts averaged 442,000 viewers on ABC/ESPN and TNT. That’s up 16% from last year’s regular season on NBC Sports/NBCSN — and a 14% jump from the 2019-2020 season. 

On cable TV only, regular-season games across ESPN/TNT averaged 383,000 viewers, a 37% boost from NBCSN last year and a 30% increase from the 2019-2020 season.

All told, the NHL posted its third-most-watched regular season on cable TV in nearly 30 years. Among the highlights:

  • ESPN’s early Opening Night telecast featuring the Pittsburgh Penguins and Tampa Bay Lighting was the most-watched ever on cable TV with 991,000 viewers. 
  • This season’s Winter Classic between the St. Louis Blues and Minnesota Wild drew 1.362 million viewers, making it the most-watched regular-season game ever on cable TV.
  • B/R Open Ice (Bleacher Report’s hockey vertical) has grown 46% on social media since Jan. 1. B/R’s app and website users spent an extra 20 hours engaging with NHL content this season.

TV numbers for the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs are off to a strong start too. 

The Pittsburgh Penguins’ thrilling triple-overtime win over the New York Rangers averaged 1.04 million viewers Tuesday, up 35% against the comparable game in 2021. It was the most-watched Game 1 of a First Round Stanley Cup Playoff series on cable since 1994.

This season marked TNT’s inaugural NHL coverage — and ESPN’s return to hockey after a 17-year hiatus. 

ESPN is paying $400 million a year to serve as the NHL’s lead TV partner. TNT is paying $225 million per year for the league’s “B” package. 

Like the NHL, the NBA also drew a growing number of female viewers, with the league’s female audience rising 23% for the 2021-2022 regular season. 

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

NFL Scheduling Gambit Pays Off With Two Blockbuster Sunday Games

The Week 15 schedule has a game pairing seen only once since 1970.

F1’s TV Ratings Similar to 2023, but Still Below the Record Highs..

The F1 season averaged 1.1 million viewers in the U.S.

NBA Cup TV Ratings Down 10% Through Group Play

The NBA has faced stiff competition from other sports.

Featured Today

Nov 2, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Detailed view of a Wilson NBA basketball held by a referee during the second half between the Utah Jazz against the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena

‘Obvious Weak Point’: Refs Remain an NBA Gambling Concern

A season after Jontay Porter, the biggest risk may not be players.
Nov 2, 2024; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; Michigan Wolverines cheerleader runs with a flag before the game against the Oregon Ducks at Michigan Stadium.
opinion
December 7, 2024

College Football’s Billionaire Backer Era Begins

Is this the new normal in CFB recruiting?
LA Galaxy forward Dejan Joveljic (9) celebrates with midfielder Riqui Puig (10) after scoring a goal against Seattle Sounders FC in the second half in the 2024 MLS Cup Western Conference Final match at Dignity Health Sports Park
December 6, 2024

With or Without Messi, Major League Soccer Is Barreling Into the Future

After the Cup final, the league looks to accelerate its growth.
Dec 18, 2022; Lusail, Qatar; FIFA president Gianni Infantino claps during the awards ceremony after the 2022 World Cup final between Argentina and France at Lusail Stadium.
December 2, 2024

FIFA Wants More Matches. Resistance Is Growing Inside the Global Soccer World

Resentment and frustration over expanded schedules is nearing a breaking point.

Pat McAfee’s Kicking Contest Saw $650,000 Awarded—and $5 Million Missed

The weekly contest on ESPN’s “College GameDay” paid out $650,000.
December 11, 2024

Georgia-Texas SEC Showdown Tops Conference Title Game TV Ratings

Georgia-Texas drew 16.6 million viewers on ABC.
December 11, 2024

WBD Secures Comcast Deal, Readies for Future Without NBA Rights

The TNT Sports parent company continues to remake itself in dramatic fashion.
Sponsored

How UBS Crafts Impactful Partnerships Across Sports, Arts, and Culture

As UBS continues to expand its impressive array of sports and entertainment partnerships, the company solidifies its position as a leader in wealth management.
Sep 13, 2024; Bolingbrook, Illinois, USA; (Editors Notes: Caption Correction) Bryson DeChambeau of the Crushers GC and Brooks Koepka of the Smash GC shake hands after the first round of the LIV Golf Chicago tournament at Bolingbrook Golf Club.
December 10, 2024

DeChambeau, Koepka Hope Showdown Helps Unite LIV–PGA Tour

The golfers will compete against Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler.
Nov 15, 2024; Arlington, Texas, UNITED STATES; Mike Tyson (black gloves) fights Jake Paul (silver gloves) at AT&T Stadium.
December 10, 2024

Netflix Spectacle Made Tyson, Paul Top Trending U.S. Athletes of 2024: Google

The Yankees and Dodgers were among the top trending sports team searches in 2024.
December 9, 2024

Amazon Breaks NFL Streaming Record (Again) With ‘TNF’ Ratings

The “Thursday Night Football” game drew 17.29 million viewers.
December 6, 2024

NHL Winter Classic Shifts to New Year’s Eve Seeking Viewership Boost

The NHL moved its Winter Classic to December for the first time.