Stanley Cup Playoffs Attract Largest Audience Ever
EW YORK (June 14, 2010) – After a regular season that saw record-breaking business success, propelled in large part by the NHL’s strategy of engaging fans through big events and robust digital offerings, the League built on that momentum with unprecedented success during a Stanley Cup Playoffs that attracted the largest audience across all platforms in the history of the sport.
The landmark playoff run was highlighted by the most-watched NHL game in the U.S. in 36 years; the highest audience for an all-U.S. Final in Canadian television history; the most-watched first two rounds on U.S. cable in history; the most-watched NHL game in TSN’s history; record TV ratings in local markets such as Chicago, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Boston; television and digital growth in non-traditional markets like Memphis, Kansas City, New Orleans and San Diego; another record year for NHL.com unique visitors; the hottest of all hot markets in Chicago fueling a Shop.NHL.com one-day sales record; in-arena sales for the Final growing by 129 percent; and measurable buzz on platforms like Google and Twitter.
"By whatever method of measurement you want to use -- be it ratings, revenues, page views, video starts, sponsor activations or simply the quality of play – the game, the players, the fans, our clubs and our partners teamed up to make 2009-10 a season to remember," said NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman.
NHL COO John Collins said, “Our fans once again demonstrated their insatiable appetite for NHL hockey, which they consumed in unprecedented numbers across all of our platforms. These milestones spotlight the power of the Stanley Cup Playoffs and its importance to hockey fans around the world. It's a fitting cap to a season that saw record-breaking business success for the League.”
Below are business highlights from the 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs:
Hopefully my goal will come true one day when NHL becomes big in the U.S. and surpasses NBA as the 3rd most popular sport behind NFL and MLB.. it should be ahead of NBA, i don't know why it's not.. NBA is dominated by black men and more of a black mans sport than a white man's.. whereas hockey is purely white and U.S has 85% whites.. also, hockey is tough, fast action and has fights, which is great cause americans love rough sports like NFL. and hockey has all this.
The only reason why hockey is not a #1 sport in USA is only because it's a canadian sport. if it was an american invented game, it'd be #1 or #2 for sure.
The NHL certainly is doing better, but I wonder how much of their success will be permanent. IMO it seems like there was a lot more interest in hockey after the Olympics. Without the Olympics piqueing (sp?) people's interest mid-season sports fans might not have hockey on the brain. Also, having two major market American teams in the finals is sure to have boosted the ratings.
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Stanley Cup Playoffs Attract Largest Audience Ever
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