As the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs begin, the league is witnessing its best viewership numbers in eight years, with Disney and TNT Sports reporting record in-game audiences for the current media-rights agreement.
Nielsen live-plus-same-day data reveals that the 2023-24 regular season drew an average of 504,000 viewers per game across ABC, ESPN, and TNT, a rise of 8% over the previous year. This peak in viewership is the highest since the 2015-16 season when national broadcasts were handled by NBC and the now-defunct NBCSN cable channel.
ESPN contributed significantly to this surge, averaging 486,000 viewers per game, which is a 25% increase from last season’s numbers. Additionally, Bristol saw a 20% improvement in the key 18-49 adult demographic, pulling in an average of 211,000 viewers per broadcast.
Overall, the Disney networks attracted an average of 666,000 viewers per game, marking a 13% increase. Notably, ABC broadcast the most-watched NHL game of the regular season on February 18, featuring the Rangers vs. Islanders at the Stadium Series, which drew 1.57 million viewers—a 38% increase. The game, won by the Rangers in overtime, was watched by 79,690 fans at MetLife Stadium.
This overtime victory also became the most-watched regular-season NHL game since Disney signed a seven-year, $2.8 billion deal with the league in 2021. In the New York market, the Rangers-Isles game attracted an average of 559,000 viewers, making it the highest-viewed regular-season NHL broadcast in the New York DMA in a decade.
Meanwhile, TNT’s Wednesday night NHL games saw a 16% increase in viewership. Collectively, ESPN and TNT delivered the highest-rated regular-season cable broadcasts in 30 years for the NHL.
In total, the NHL’s three television partners brought in an estimated $67.5 million in in-game advertising revenue this season, with major sponsors including Honda, Geico, and Verizon, along with other prominent advertisers like Progressive, AT&T, and Taco Bell. Advertising spending was up 27% from the last season.
The TV excitement mirrored the NHL’s in-person attendance, as the league set a new record. Over 22.9 million fans attended games in the 2023-24 season, with arenas operating at 97% capacity. Among the 15 teams that reached 100% capacity—or more—were Minnesota and Vegas (both at 104%), Nashville, Carolina, and Colorado (all at 101%), along with Boston, Dallas, Seattle, Tampa, Montreal, and the Rangers.
