NHL Viewership Down 22% This Season; Averaging 373k Viewers on ESPN/TNT

[Pete]

53 minutes ago, Bugg said:

Whiles doesn't account for a  precipitous 22% drop, the ESPN+ thing is a disaster. At a loss why they did not insist on being on a regular ESPN channel regularly. ESPN has how many channels, anyway. The Ocho isn't even a joke. Streaming has been exposed; it's more expensive, and the tech sucks. Can't toggle between channels as on cable, takes forever to load and NOBODY wants to pay. Bettman once again shown to be the biggest of assholes when it comes to marketing  the NHL. 

 

51 minutes ago, Morphinity 2.0 said:

Agreed. ESPN+ is a travesty - and the stupid blackout rules are even worse.

 

44 minutes ago, Ozzy said:

 

I hate that too, Bugg!!  What a pain in the ass!!

 

Advertising. You're forced to watch an ad, so not only is ESPN getting ad rev from brands, they're getting subscription dollars.

 

It's a genius model for a money grab, but it's unsustainable.

[Bugg]

23 minutes ago, Pete said:

 

 

Advertising. You're forced to watch an ad, so not only is ESPN getting ad rev from brands, they're getting subscription dollars.

 

It's a genius model for a money grab, but it's unsustainable.

Non live sports programming; streaming show pauses for ads. And viewers immediately start perusing their phone or tablet or laptop until the show resumes. TV ads are an ingrained business model, but correct, unsustainable long term. They know the ads are less effective than ever since the audience does their damnedest to ignore them. But they don't know quite what else to do to generate ad income. Noticing more and more that while some shows are available of cable channels, many aren't available any other way than streaming. And no great secret; if you can DVR it, you can toggle past ads. Not so with streaming. 

[Pete]

7 minutes ago, Bugg said:

Non live sports programming; streaming show pauses for ads. And viewers immediately start perusing their phone or tablet or laptop until the show resumes. TV ads are an ingrained business model, but correct, unsustainable long term. They know the ads are less effective than ever since the audience does their damnedest to ignore them. But they don't know quite what else to do to generate ad income. Noticing more and more that while some shows are available of cable channels, many aren't available any other way than streaming. And no great secret; if you can DVR it, you can toggle past ads. Not so with streaming. 

Most people would watch an ad versus pay for a subscription, just need the right media mix.

[SaveByRichter35]

Its going to get worse when these apps roll out their technology to ban/charge extra for shared accounts in different houses.

[Pete]

2 minutes ago, SaveByRichter35 said:

Its going to get worse when these apps roll out their technology to ban/charge extra for shared accounts in different houses.

That'll be the death of streaming. It's going to move from a bunch of great original content towards things like Pluto TV where channels just wind up licensing broadcast rights for shows. Then it will get even worse, because if you want to watch reruns of breaking bad, you'll have to buy a subscription to whatever service owns the rights at that time. 

[Keirik]

Meanwhile this week there were a grand total of 6 hockey games all week. In the winter where many people are either stuck at home becsuse of weather or just are looking for something to watch.

 But no, 6 total games. And an all star break for something no actual NHL fan cares about. 

[Parsley]

6 hours ago, Keirik said:

Meanwhile this week there were a grand total of 6 hockey games all week. In the winter where many people are either stuck at home becsuse of weather or just are looking for something to watch.

 But no, 6 total games. And an all star break for something no actual NHL fan cares about. 

Bingo.

 

Bored waiting for the Super Bowl, NBA is midseason meaningless meh. NHL picking its nose.

[Ozzy]

Maybe it's time to get some new blood in place for Mr. Bettman? 

[Blue Heaven]

9 hours ago, Keirik said:

Meanwhile this week there were a grand total of 6 hockey games all week. In the winter where many people are either stuck at home becsuse of weather or just are looking for something to watch.

 But no, 6 total games. And an all star break for something no actual NHL fan cares about. 

NHL should schedule the All-Star Game the week after the Super Bowl (Presidents Day Weekend)....They should run with the NFL bye week before the Super Bowl with pounding divisional games, start the pre-all star bye week Saturday before the Super Bowl.  

[Pete]

17 minutes ago, Blue Heaven said:

NHL should schedule the All-Star Game the week after the Super Bowl (Presidents Day Weekend)....They should run with the NFL bye week before the Super Bowl with pounding divisional games, start the pre-all star bye week Saturday before the Super Bowl.  

Nah that's too late. Teams will have played 50+ games and too close to TDL. 

 

Have the Winter classic be the All-Star Game. Outdoor 3 on 3. Then you can leave out all the nonsense around which teams get chosen for the classic. 

[RichieNextel305]

1 hour ago, Pete said:

Nah that's too late. Teams will have played 50+ games and too close to TDL. 

 

Have the Winter classic be the All-Star Game. Outdoor 3 on 3. Then you can leave out all the nonsense around which teams get chosen for the classic. 

I honestly don’t think that would work. For example, the 2018 Winter Classic was like -500 degrees outside (Atleast it felt that way). I, and many other Ranger and Sabre fans, dealt with it because were diehards who wanted that experience and to see our team play in a unique environment. If you take away the teams and just put an exhibition game outdoors featuring players who don’t care about the game, you’d lose people who would actually show up and deal with that type of weather, for example, IMO.

 

There are other variables to it too. It’s not a bad idea, it’s just not one I see working all the way through.

 

The timing here is just unfortunate. It’s the deadest week of the year for sports, in the dead of winter. And there’s no hockey on. It just sucks.

 

 

Edited February 3, 2023 by RichieNextel305

[phillyb]

You guys are paying to watch shit?

[Pete]

4 hours ago, RichieNextel305 said:

I honestly don’t think that would work. For example, the 2018 Winter Classic was like -500 degrees outside (Atleast it felt that way). I, and many other Ranger and Sabre fans, dealt with it because were diehards who wanted that experience and to see our team play in a unique environment. If you take away the teams and just put an exhibition game outdoors featuring players who don’t care about the game, you’d lose people who would actually show up and deal with that type of weather, for example, IMO.

 

There are other variables to it too. It’s not a bad idea, it’s just not one I see working all the way through.

 

The timing here is just unfortunate. It’s the deadest week of the year for sports, in the dead of winter. And there’s no hockey on. It just sucks.

 

 

Yea I guess that's your personal story about it, but that doesn't mean it holds true for everybody. 

 

There have been outdoor games when it's 55°. 

[4EverRangerFrank]

On 2/2/2023 at 9:18 AM, Ozzy said:

Hell, you can't even go out and buy a jersey for a player anymore, because he's probably gone in 3-5 years anyway, when he "prices out".

Jerseys should be made with interchangeable letters and numbers that you buy as "add-ons" later. I'm not serious about this but it's difficult to justify $200+ when the likelihood is the payer will be gone before the jersey begins to fray. My son bought his girlfriend a Shesty jersey as a safe bet recently.

[4EverRangerFrank]

On 2/3/2023 at 9:25 AM, Ozzy said:

Maybe it's time to get some new blood in place for Mr. Bettman? 

 

Bring on one of Ronnie Mund's "Titty Tuesday" hot chicks for the role.

[Zuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuc]

ESPN: Why are so few people watching our NHL games?

 

Also ESPN:

 

[Zuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuc]

And then Stephen A got a phone call from someone and had to [try to] change his tone:

What a joke.

[Sharpshooter]

Putting hockey back on ESPN was terrible. It was good back in the day with Thorne and Clement and NHL2Night, they at least cared (somewhat) then. Now? Bad. Actually, I think the national coverage in general is not that great.

[SaveByRichter35]

I was so excited when the NHL was going back to ESPN but man have I been disappointed.  ESPN is the worst.  When the NHL was on NBC, any game on NBC, NBCSN, USA Network(playoff time), or any other NBC affiliate,  could all be streamed on the NBCSN app with just a cable provider log in.  During the fall any college football game on any ESPN affiliate channel, even the bowls, Playoff, and National Championship Game can be streamed on the ESPN app with just a cable provider log in.  But when the NHL has a national telecast on ABC, an affiliate of ESPN, you cannot stream the game on the ESPN app with just a cable provider log in.  It only presents you with ESPN+ streams.  A game on ABC, basic fucking cable, in February you cannot stream on the ESPN app.  It is fucking bullshit.  Thankfully, I can stream the games on the ABC app with just a cable provider log in.  Because THAT makes sooooooooooooooooo much sense.

[BrooksBurner]

10 minutes ago, SaveByRichter35 said:

I was so excited when the NHL was going back to ESPN but man have I been disappointed.  ESPN is the worst.  When the NHL was on NBC, any game on NBC, NBCSN, USA Network(playoff time), or any other NBC affiliate,  could all be streamed on the NBCSN app with just a cable provider log in.  During the fall any college football game on any ESPN affiliate channel, even the bowls, Playoff, and National Championship Game can be streamed on the ESPN app with just a cable provider log in.  But when the NHL has a national telecast on ABC, an affiliate of ESPN, you cannot stream the game on the ESPN app with just a cable provider log in.  It only presents you with ESPN+ streams.  A game on ABC, basic fucking cable, in February you cannot stream on the ESPN app.  It is fucking bullshit.  Thankfully, I can stream the games on the ABC app with just a cable provider log in.  Because THAT makes sooooooooooooooooo much sense.

Can you not stream it through an ABC app?

[SaveByRichter35]

2 minutes ago, BrooksBurner said:

Can you not stream it through an ABC app?

13 minutes ago, SaveByRichter35 said:

I was so excited when the NHL was going back to ESPN but man have I been disappointed.  ESPN is the worst.  When the NHL was on NBC, any game on NBC, NBCSN, USA Network(playoff time), or any other NBC affiliate,  could all be streamed on the NBCSN app with just a cable provider log in.  During the fall any college football game on any ESPN affiliate channel, even the bowls, Playoff, and National Championship Game can be streamed on the ESPN app with just a cable provider log in.  But when the NHL has a national telecast on ABC, an affiliate of ESPN, you cannot stream the game on the ESPN app with just a cable provider log in.  It only presents you with ESPN+ streams.  A game on ABC, basic fucking cable, in February you cannot stream on the ESPN app.  It is fucking bullshit.  Thankfully, I can stream the games on the ABC app with just a cable provider log in.  Because THAT makes sooooooooooooooooo much sense.