Five years ago, the NHL canceled its season and saw a significant TV ratings drop off when it did return. Now, however, things appear to be improving with Versus and NBC both saying its ratings are up over 20 and 10 percent, respectively, and that ad sales are doing better than last year and nearly sold out. NHL.com has also offered more live video to draw in younger audiences, and unique visitors are up a third.
“By creating a digital front door to the league, we have redefined ourselves in the marketplace,” NHL COO John Collins said.
NHL sponsors like Verizon, Enterprise, Anheuser-Busch and Reebok are spending more, and unaffiliated sponsors such as Discover Card, Pizza Hut, Volkswagen, Amway and Subway have also bought time, and perhaps its popularity warrants more attention from gaming and entertainment brands as well.
“There is a good, healthy buzz about the NHL,” said Christine Merrifield, senior vp and director of video investment at MediaVest. “From an advertiser perspective, it’s priced fairly. And being able to combine broadcast and cable buys is good.”
Still, compared to the other major sporting leagues, the NHL doesn’t have the same pull. One wonders how the Stanley Cup playoffs might fare if it didn’t go head to head every year with the NBA playoffs, which attracts a much more diverse audience, both young and old. “The one downside is that it doesn’t have a mass reach that the other major TV sports have,” noted Merrifield.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
