During the last NHL lockout during the 2004-2005 NHL season, the National Hockey League virtually fell off the map. Disinterest was at an all-time high, and viewership couldn't have been lower. However, since then, the NHL has taken considerable strides in garnering the interest of a wider fan base, and making the NHL a prominent television league.
By partnering with the NHL for a record setting $2 billion television deal, NBC has gambled that the NHL will be prominent and relevant for the next 10 years. This seemed to be a sure bet with viewership hitting all time highs this year, according to a USA Today study. Additionally, non-traditional hockey markets like Los Angeles and Phoenix made a push to stay relevant in a very demographically controlled league. Los Angeles did so by winning the Stanley Cup. Phoenix, although controlled by the NHL and almost destined for relocation, still generated interest during their historic Stanley Cup run.
NBC set record numbers in terms of viewership during the Stanley Cup playoffs, and many expected this trend to continue. However, NBC and American hockey fans have encountered the inevitable conflict between the NH ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NHL
Article written by Andrew Montag
Why the NHL Is One More Lockout Away from Irrelevancy
September 24th, 2012 by Andrew Montag Leave a reply »
Advertisement