The NHL’s Doing Fine …. It’s Cup Time

You don’t want me to break out that NHL on Fox video from 1995 do you? If you’re a regular reader, you know what that refers to. If not, go to YouTube and do a search for NHL on Fox and you’ll find the open that I keep referencing.

Anyway, the NHL has come out with a new announcement crowing about interest in the Stanley Cup Playoffs from non-traditional US hockey markets. We’re not just talking about the northeast where the NHL usually thrives, but we’re talking markets in the Sunbelt like Birmingham, AL; Louisville, KY; San Antonio, TX; and San Diego, CA. None of these markets have NHL teams, but there’s interest and I’ve noticed calls to Hockey Night in Canada Radio on Sirius Channels 97 and 127 from Alabama, North Carolina and Florida which probably would not have happened over the last five years or so.

So take a look at this release which encompasses the ratings on NBC, Versus and the hits to NHL.com.

NON-NHL MARKETS & NON-PLAYOFF MARKETS SHOW SUBSTANTIAL GROWTH ON U.S. TV/NHL.COM

NEW YORK – May 6, 2010 — The NHL is coming off of the most-watched Stanley Cup Conference Quarterfinals in the U.S. in 10 years with both VERSUS and NBC showing increases overall for the playoffs. That success has been mirrored on the NHL’s digital platforms with unique visitors to NHL.com up 33 percent over last year and video starts up 146 percent.

The increased demand for NHL content has led to growth in fan engagement across all platforms, highlighted by especially impressive growth among non-NHL U.S. markets and U.S. markets of teams not qualifying for the postseason.

Below is a summary of the U.S. markets experiencing the biggest increases for the first round on VERSUS, NBC and VERSUS/NBC combined (metered market ratings, according to Nielsen Media Research):

NHL QUARTERFINALS ON VERSUS

Birmingham – up 200%

Norfolk – up 200%

Chicago – up 133%

Louisville – up 100%

San Antonio – up 100%

Knoxville – up 100%

Cleveland – up 100%

Dayton – up 100%

San Diego – up 100%

Richmond – up 100%

Raleigh – up 100%

Kansas City – up 100%

Greenville – up 100%

Notes:

• 17 of 21 U.S. team markets were up compared to last year.
• 21 of 35 non-NHL U.S. team markets were up compared to last year.
• 49 out of the 56 total metered markets were even or up from last year
• 6 out of the 8 U.S. team markets that did not make the playoffs this year were even or up from last year.

NHL CONFERENCE QUARTERFINALS ON NBC

Detroit – up 500%

Knoxville – up 300%

Chicago – up 288%

Nashville – up 267%

Buffalo – up 257%

Phoenix – up 189%

Boston – up 100%

Indianapolis – up 100%

Milwaukee – up 100%

Providence – up 80%

Notes:

• 12 out of 21 U.S. team markets were up compared to last year.
• 37 out of the 56 total markets were eve
  n or up from last year.
• 5 out of 8 U.S. team markets that did not make the playoffs this year were up from last year.

NHL QUARTERFINALS COMBINED ON NBC/VS

Knoxville – up 200%

Chicago – up 150%

Detroit – up 143%

Louisville – up 100%

San Antonio – up 100%

Phoenix – up 100%

San Diego – up 100%

Dayton – up 100%

Birmingham – up 100%

Sacramento – up 100%

Albuquerque – up 100%

Notes:

• 14 out of 21 U.S. team markets were even or up compared to last year.
• 19 out of the 35 non-NHL U.S. team markets were up compared to last year.
• 43 out of the 56 total markets were even or up from last year.
• 6 out of 8 U.S. team markets that did not make the playoffs this year were up or even with last year.

Below is a summary of year-to-year growth on NHL.com from non-NHL markets and from markets of NHL teams not qualifying for the playoffs:

GAINS FOR NON-NHL U.S. MARKETS ON NHL.COM (Unique visitors, year over year for playoffs)

Kansas City – up 153%

Austin – up 76%

Sacramento – up 60%

Milwaukee – up 59%

Portland (Ore.) – up 51%

Salt Lake City – up 47%

Portland/Auburn (Maine) – up 44%

Baltimore – up 43%

Cleveland – up 43%

Seattle/Tacoma – up 43%

Cincinnati – up 39%

San Diego – up 38%

Orlando – up 31%

Las Vegas – up 26%

Indianapolis – up 24%

GAINS FOR U.S. NHL MARKETS ON NHL.COM FOR NON-PLAYOFF TEAMS (Unique visitors, year over year)

Dallas/Ft. Worth – up 61%

Miami/Ft. Lauderdale – up 32%

Tampa/St. Petersburg – up 31%

Atlanta – up 21%

Minneapolis/ St. Paul – up 13%

New York – up 6%

Is it a post-Olympics bump? Does this mean greater interest in hockey? Is it due to high definition TV? It all means that the NHL is seeing greater interest and it needs to harness this somehow.