IBC

The NHL has officially passed the NBA in average attendance.

Woooooo! Go hockey

Brewers wrote:The NHL has officially passed the NBA in average attendance.

Now if they'd make a tiny dent in ratings we'd have something. NHL hockey is a much better game than NBA basketball, but that core group of people (most of whom go to games) seem to be all that realize that.

I guess the other way to look at it is that, if you want to get someone interested in the NHL you have to take them to a game (from my experience). So at least people are going to games, though I'm not sure how many are newish.

There are no great days in hockey. Hockey ceased to exist March 26, 1997.

Marlins wrote:There are no great days in hockey. Hockey ceased to exist March 26, 1997.

Hey, there's always Ron Hainsey to root for.

Tigers wrote:

Brewers wrote:The NHL has officially passed the NBA in average attendance.

Now if they'd make a tiny dent in ratings we'd have something. NHL hockey is a much better game than NBA basketball, but that core group of people (most of whom go to games) seem to be all that realize that.

I guess the other way to look at it is that, if you want to get someone interested in the NHL you have to take them to a game (from my experience). So at least people are going to games, though I'm not sure how many are newish.

Absolutely. Probably the most exciting of the major 4 pro sports to watch live, but on the flipside one of the worst for TV. I'd be interested to know how attendance is in warm weather cities (where kids don't learn the sport at an early age) compared to northern and canadian cities.

Eff u Bettman, you miserable little elf. The Whale, the Jets et les Nordiques curse you to an eternity on the Outdoor Life Network * ahem * Versus or whatever crappy station they're on now, constantly battling for popularity with MMA, and hoping your bloody goons beat those bloody goons back to network television so your sport doesn't die by your own hand. little evil elf-man.

One reason cable TV packages and online offerings that show every baseball, basketball and hockey game are flourishing is due to the phenomenon known as the “displaced fan.”

That’s the person who grew up in one town but now lives somewhere else. Thanks to technology, those sports loyalties can move with you.

... The online package is also ideal for the road warrior who doesn’t want to miss a game or the avid fan who’d rather watch the Calgary Flames battle the Edmonton Oilers than some lame sit-com.

... the online package works if you want a deeper hockey experience.

You can watch archived games and videos of classic moments, or maybe a milestone game where your team is lifting the Stanley Cup.

The NHL is off to a good start this season with GameCenter Live.

The league won’t give specific numbers, but the subscriber base is up nearly 300 percent from last year. The biggest group of users are displaced fans from the NHL’s Original Six–many now in California, Florida and the Sun Belt states–with fans of the Red Wings, Rangers and Blackhawks at the top of the pack.

http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com ... s-and.html

Before anyone sez anything I understand that increase could be 3 subscribers to 9 ...

As far as hockey in warm weather cities goes the Sharks are always among the league leaders in attendance out here and the market seems to bear the ridiculous ticket prices (can't get a lower bowl seat under $100). HD has helped hockey a lot, it becomes 100x more watchable on television in HD, that combined with a generation of young stars (Sid the Kid, Malkin, Ovechkin, etc.) means that the games are fascinating to watch and more entertaining then they've been in the past. If only Crosby and Malkin played for New York and Ovechkin played for LA then the league might really have something.

Don't knock Versus, since I've got the expanded cable package about a month ago I watch it more than any other channel. Of course, I love hunting and fishing shows and have been deprived on them since TNN quit being The Nashville Network in 2001

Haven't seen it on HD, but I can imagine it would be enhanced as much if not more than the other sports. I don't really count San Jose or LA when I'm talking about "warm weather" cities. Both LA and the Bay Area have had NHL teams since the late 60s, so those cities have long enough hockey traditions (combined with enough northeast transplants) that they're a bit different than places like Phoenix, Atlanta, South Florida, somewhere in the carolinas, etc. You know what I mean.

Was definitely surprised by how fired up Sharks fans got. It was different than being around east coast hockey fans, but they were good, knowledgeble fans and go absolutely nutso in that place sometimes. Also, they've been fairly successful as far as expansion teams go. Honestly, I think it may have saved the league that (at least once directly following a move) relocating franchises and expansion teams seem to have had a disproportionate amount of success than in other sports. Is that wrong? Might be talking outta my ass, but par for the course.

Honestly though, winning a cup within your first 5-10 years as opposed to a decade or two of sustained losing could be the difference between keeping fans unfamiliar with the game interested and having them drift back to NASCAR. Dallas won and stayed popular, The Fightin' Estevez Bros. of Anaheim, Tampa Bay, the red team with clouds on their sweaters, Colorado, etc. If I was a Quebecois when that went down, I would've gathered up all my creepy mustachioed backwoodsy french canadian trapping buddies and marched on Denver with torches to take them back. Just not right. Poor canadians.

Athletics wrote:As far as hockey in warm weather cities goes the Sharks are always among the league leaders in attendance out here and the market seems to bear the ridiculous ticket prices (can't get a lower bowl seat under $100). HD has helped hockey a lot, it becomes 100x more watchable on television in HD, that combined with a generation of young stars (Sid the Kid, Malkin, Ovechkin, etc.) means that the games are fascinating to watch and more entertaining then they've been in the past. If only Crosby and Malkin played for New York and Ovechkin played for LA then the league might really have something.

Yep, HD is enormous for hockey. Makes a huge difference.

"Absolutely. Probably the most exciting of the major 4 pro sports to watch live, but on the flipside one of the worst for TV"

I couldn't agree with this more. I love going to a hockey game (though I refuse to give Jacobs any of my money) but I'd rather watch a golf rain delay than hockey on television.

This is a good article about why HD t.v. is the only hope for the NHL to regain popularity outside of their core fanbase:

http://www.slate.com/id/2190992/pagenum/2