Report: Early NHL playoff ratings plummet 27%

Field Level Media|published: Wed 23rd April, 19:52 2025

NHL: San Jose Sharks at Vancouver Canucks

Dec 23, 2024; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; A puck blocks a remote broadcast tv camera prior to game between the San Jose Sharks and Vancouver Canucks during warm up prior to a game against the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images

NHL playoff broadcasts in the United States were down in viewership through the first three days of the postseason, per a report from Front Office Sports published Wednesday.

Stanley Cup playoff games through Monday averaged 718,000 viewers, the outlet reported. That's a 27 percent drop from the previous year.

That continues a negative trend for NHL games on national television. The league's regular-season ratings in America were down 12 percent compared to last season.

Five of the 16 teams in this year's playoff field are from Canada -- up from four in 2024 -- which sparked predictions prior to the postseason that viewership would be down in the United States.

While Canada's increased representation in the playoffs might be partly to blame for this year's ratings dip in the United States, the opposite appears to be true in Canada. As an example, Monday's Game 1 between the Montreal Canadiens and Washington Capitals drew 1.68 million viewers on French-language TVA Sports.

--Field Level Media