The NHL’s return to ESPN has already paid off in the ratings with a record Opening Night audience.
Tuesday’s Penguins-Lightning NHL Opening Night game averaged 983,000 viewers on ESPN, the league’s largest Opening Night audience ever on cable (dates back to 1993). The previous high was 956,000 for Flyers-Bruins on NBCSN in 2014.
Regardless of network, it was the largest audience for the first national NHL telecast of any season since the lockout-shortened 2012-13 campaign — when the season opened with a regional window on NBC (Blackhawks-Kings or Flyers-Penguins: 2.8M).
Pittsburgh’s win increased 36% from Capitals-Blues on NBCSN in October 2019, the last traditional Opening Night (983K). Last season’s first game, Flyers-Penguins on a Wednesday afternoon in January, averaged 932,000 on NBCSN.
In the nightcap, Kraken-Golden Knights averaged 783,000 — up 107% from Sharks-Golden Knights in ’19 (379K).
As should surprise no one, neither game came close to the competing Major League Baseball playoff games, which averaged 3.1 and 5.1 million viewers on TBS.
Tuesday marked the first time in more than 17 years that ESPN aired an NHL game. The network is in the first of a seven-year deal with the league. Turner Sports begins its inaugural season of NHL coverage Wednesday night.
[Nielsen estimates from ShowBuzz Daily 10.13]
Wasn’t impressed whatsoever with ESPN’s coverage. It seemed like they weren’t prepared at times and the broadcast didn’t give the game a big feel. On the other hand, I thought TNT’s coverage tonight was outstanding. Turner just seems to always understand how to rise to the moment in their productions. It’s a shame they couldn’t acquire the entire package.
Terrific job by ESPN on opening night. It helps that ESPN is filled with a team of people who love the sport. The passion definitely comes through on the broadcast. And great touch by Steve Levy adding a nice tribute to John Saunders and Tom Mees. Those 2 guys loved hockey and were terrific voices for the sport in ESPNs early days. They left us way too soon.