NHL Takes a TV Beating

Posted 2:59 a.m. May 22, 2007 — Updated 2:59 a.m. May 22, 2007

Jeff Gravley

So what's your choice, a weekend under the sun or in front of the TV watching sports?? Hockey got a black eye and a tooth knocked out when Game 5 of Ottawa and Buffalo went to overtime and NBC didn't carry the winning goal of the game. The network switched to the Preakness and a look at the ratings showed it was the right call to go from hockey to horses.

As exciting as the Buffalo/Ottawa game was, it was a ratings nightmare. The numbers for the hockey were a 0.9 rating and 2 share. (the 0.9 exceeds the legal limit in some states). At 5pm, when NBC switched to the Preakness, the ratings went to a 4.4 rating and a 10 share. Even if you don't understand the ratings system, that's a pretty good jump.

The Ottawa/Buffalo game was the lowest rated sporting event of the weekend in our market. Saturday's WNBA game between the Shock and Monarchs that started at 3:30 had better ratings than the Sabres and Sens. A watered down PGA tournament doubled the ratings of the Sabres and Sens. Heck, even a poker series on Sunday had more viewers than the Sabres and Sens. Ratings for Sunday's match-up between the Wings and Ducks didn't beat poker but it did TIE the WNBA game.

It WAS a beautiful weekend in the area and that can lead to more eyes on the sun than on TV sports. But hockey's ratings woes aren't just confined to this weekend. All season long, the sport has struggled to compete with the other sports when it comes to TV ratings.

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