Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Connor Bedard of the Chicago Blackhawks prepare for a faceoff. (Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images) (NHLI via Getty Images)
The 2023–2024 NHL regular season averaged 490,000 viewers across the networks of ESPN and TNT Sports for its 113 nationally televised games, up 8% vs. the 2022–2023 season (454,000 viewers) and the highest since the 2015–2016 regular season (503,000 viewers).
Particularly, the NHL’s 95 exclusive broadcasts averaged 528,000 viewers, up 11% vs. last season (476,000 viewers). In addition, the league’s 18 non-exclusive broadcasts averaged 286,000 viewers, up 8% vs. the 2022–2023 season (266,000 viewers).
On cable (ESPN and TNT Sports), the NHL averaged 401,000 viewers for the 2023–2024 season, up 9% vs. last season (368,000 viewers). Moreover, ESPN’s Connor Bedard-fueled opening night was the most-watched on cable in NHL history, which also brought in a massive 1,431,000 viewers for the Blackhawks and Penguins.
Meanwhile, on network television (ABC), which included an all-time high of 19 games, the NHL averaged 918,000 viewers, down 9% vs. the 2022–2023 season (1,009,000 viewers), but up 7% vs. the 2021–2022 season (854,000 viewers). Despite the network’s average being down, the league saw its most-viewed Stadium Series game since 2019, as the Rangers and Islanders averaged 1,568,000 viewers on Saturday, February 18th.
ESPN averaged 482,000 viewers for its 31 games, up 25% vs. the 2022–2023 season (387,000 viewers), as the network also finished the regular season on a high note with an average of 591,000 viewers for Thursday’s Kraken and Wild matchup, the most-watched closing day game under the current television deal.
Combined, Disney (ABC and ESPN) averaged 651,000 viewers for its 50 nationally televised games this season, up 14% vs. the 2022–2023 season (573,000 viewers) and the highest for the company since reacquiring the NHL’s rights in 2021.
TNT Sports averaged 362,000 viewers for its 63 games this season (45 exclusive, 18 non-exclusive), up 1% vs. last season (357,000 viewers). It is also worth noting that this season saw an increase in non-exclusive games for the network (18 vs. 12). Furthermore, the network saw its most-watched regular season game in history, with the Blackhawks and Bruins averaging 896,000 viewers on TNT’s opening night.
The NHL will enter the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs on an eight-year high in regular season viewership.
