Lowest Winter Classic Rating And Fixing The Problem

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Union and Blue

The Winter Classic rating is in, and it’s not good news for the NHL.

The annual spectacle produced a mere 2.3 overnight rating according to NBC which is the lowest number in the history of the Winter Classic.  By comparison, Richard Deitsch of Sports Illustrated put out these numbers from past games via @richarddeitsch on Twitter:

• 2015: 2.3 (Blackhawks/Capitals)
• 2014: 2.9 (Leafs/Red Wings)
• 2013: No game.
• 2012: 2.4 (Rangers/Flyers)
• 2011: 2.8 (Capitals/Penguins)
• 2010: 2.6 (Flyers/Bruins)
• 2009: 2.9 (Red Wings/Blackhawks)
• 2008: 2.6 (Penguins/Sabres)

Here’s how NBC spun the ratings news:

While this isn’t a massive drop off in numbers the steady decline in numbers should be concerning for the league.  But I’m not sure that it is.  As much as the game is a wonderful event hockey in general is a sport that is difficult to translate on television when compared to other major sports.  But in person the Winter Classic is still a marquis event and the league charges prices accordingly.

"The average ticket price is $205, so the gate alone will be almost $9 million. (A normal gate would be about $1 million, maybe $1.5 million.) Now add about $5 million in sponsorships and about $2 million in concessions. Now add millions more in merchandise. Nicholas J. Cotsonika from Yahoo"

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So the league still makes money hand over fist on the event when compared to the normal regular season game. But the numbers should still be concerning. The drop is 21% off of the best rating in 2009. The league may be raking it in with the live gate, but this is a game shown on television in prime time on New Years Day when people are off from work. And you can bet advertisers notice these figures. It’s a shame too because this was arguably the best played game on the most consistent ice surface in the history of the event.

So how do you fix it? I think it’s actually quite simple. With the novelty wearing off the league has to do a better job of involving more teams. The problem with going back to the Red Wings, Blackhawks, and Penguins all the time is that these teams are already on television quite a bit. Seeing them playing an outdoor game doesn’t hold the casual fans interest because they can see these teams frequently throughout the season.

The Winter Classic is quickly becoming similar to your favorite drama series. If you can’t keep the story lines fresh the ratings drop and eventually the series gets killed. Try rotating in other teams like the St. Louis Blues, the Montreal Canadiens, or the Tampa Bay Lightning. Think about that: Steven Stamkos is one of the best players in the game and he has yet to play in the annual showcase in eight years? That’s an abject failure of league marketing.

The Winter Classic can no longer be just about the game. The league needs to figure out how to tell the stories of the players because recycling the same teams is not drawing the same interest or reaction as it did in 2008. And unless the league wants to draw a different reaction from the sponsors of the event and the television advertisers, the league may have to tell the story of end of the Winter Classic on television. And that’s a black eye the league doesn’t want on it’s biggest regular season event.