Lowest rated Winter Classic in 5-year history
Daily News Flyers blog
Lowest rated Winter Classic in 5-year history
After NHL commissioner Gary Bettman called Monday’s Winter Classic “perfect,” the NHL and NBC had to be a little disappointed with the return on national television ratings.
According to the overnight ratings, the 2012 Winter Classic at Citizens Bank Park was the lowest rated game in the five-year history of the event.
The one caveat, of course, is that this was the only Winter Classic to not be held on New Year’s Day, as the NHL chose to focus on its legal holiday equivalent to not go head-to-head with the NFL on Jan. 1. That focus didn’t exactly pan out.
Here is how it stacks up, according to Sports Business Daily:
2012 - Philadelphia’s Citizens Bank Park - 3 o’clock start: 2.4 overnight rating (Jan. 2)
2011 - Pittsburgh’s Heinz Field - 7 o’clock start: 2.8 overnight rating
2010 - Boston’s Fenway Park - 1 o’clock start: 2.6 overnight rating
2009 - Chicago’s Wrigley Field - 1 o’clock start (Eastern time): 2.9 overnight rating
2008 - Buffalo’s Ralph Wilson Stadium - 1 o’clock start: 2.6 overnight rating
Comparatively, the Outback Bowl on ABC drew a 5.0 rating and the Rose Bowl on ESPN captured a 9.0 audience last night.
To put it in perspective, those Winter Classic ratings are roughly double what a normal, nationally-televised regular season game would produce.
Local ratings - and ratings in non-hockey markets - have not yet been released.
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The ratings are lower than our goals against average.— burholme-
Hey it's hockey. When are people going to stop trying to act ss if anyone other than their cultish fans really cares. I don't know which one I'm more sick of. The ridiculous over the top hype for this thing or the even more over hyped and who cares Iowa caucuces.— JLH - Flyers didn't win because they had a goalie that let in a bad goal (or two) and do NOT have the talent (a sniper...probably of a European background) to make up for it. Same old thing for 30+ years....— bvl390
- It's hokey.....what the puck!!!!— STEPHEN1988
- Bettman should go back to the NBA and leave the NHL alone..— USAFirst1
Comment removed.- The Three Stooges marathon was great. Kinda reminded me of a City Council meeting on steroids.— jimmymack
- Well that is a terrible gauge. As many of you stated, it was a work day for some.— LAFlyer
- If Dave Schultz would have played, the ratings would have been higher.— oakmontleo
- The novelty is wearing off. The game should have been on Jan 1 at night. A day game would have been good but of course the ice would have been an issue. They also need to have more West or South teams in the game. Imagine if the LA Kings played in Philly outdoors in the cold. People out west would be more interested.— Phillies2008WSChamps
- The novelty is wearing off. The game should have been on Jan 1 at night. A day game would have been good but of course the ice would have been an issue. They also need to have more West or South teams in the game. Imagine if the LA Kings played in Philly outdoors in the cold. People out west would be more interested.— Phillies2008WSChamps
- Small drop off for having it on a day more people worked. How about an important article about sun glare or tape vs grease.— NYPHILLYPHAN
- Winter Classic = Winter Bust. Let's put people 500 yds. from a 2 1/2 inch disc and see if anyone can tell where it is while highly paid, highly skilled players try in earnest, but futility, to make plays on the most inferior ice surface in pro hockey. All the commentators talk about during these fiascoes is the "challenges" the players have to deal with compared to a regular arena. And the point of this exercise is what, to prove hockey can't be effectively played on a baseball/football field?— icarus
- Leave it to the Philadelphia media to turn something good into a downer. I read it was the 5th most watched game in NHL history so how come we can't be happy with that? Oh yeah, Philadelphia sports writers always look for the downside to everything. I bet since it was played on the 2nd- when most people returned to work- had a lot to do with the ratings rather than the teams that played. The NHL should think about itself instead of worrying about competing with the NFL. They could have played later that night and still pulled in decent ratings.— Kanayd
- The lowers rating, but still comparable to all the other Winter Classics.— road515
