Upset Fans Blame NHL’s Poor Broadcasting for Declining Viewership: “A Nightmare”

They said that a game between the San Jose Sharks and Seattle Kraken was watched by only 175,000 people on ESPN, which means that it was the least popular NHL game of the year for the channel and the least popular program for ESPN for the whole day. The game, which started at 10:30 p.m ET already a bad time for TV, was beaten badly by a women’s college basketball match between Iowa State and Kansas state which received 390000 viewers which is double of what NHL received. According to Programming Insider, those figures could not be speaking any louder. And now, the fans are directly accusing the NHL for having a very complex broadcasting system that contributed to the deterioration of the league’s ratings.

NHL sees a decline in viewership!

Ryan Hana, the voice behind @WingedWheelPod, hopped on X on February 9 to spill some hard truths about watching NHL games—because, let’s be real, it feels more like solving a scavenger hunt than actually enjoying hockey. Dropping a dose of frustration, he said,

“You need about a half-dozen different services/subscriptions to watch NHL games, & even then you’re blacked out randomly or there’s some random switch to a different network that you can only access if you answer these riddles three.”

The post continued,

“Best sport in the world and nobody can watch.” And oh, did the fans rally behind that sentiment. Between the subscriptions, blackouts, and sudden network switches, watching NHL games feels less like a fan experience and more like an extreme sport in itself.

One fan was absolutely fuming over the NHL’s broadcasting chaos, and he didn’t hold back. Steven Miller took to the internet to vent his frustration, dropping a rant that perfectly summed up what so many fans are feeling. “I live closest to Seattle where it’s hard to watch home games. Pay up big for ESPN but you are blacked out then I need to go channel hunting. Is the game on TNT? KGW? Amazon Prime? Hulu? NHL channel? What a nightmare!!! At least for Wild games the list is simpler as I live outside the home rights zone.”

However, the Philadelphia Flyers-New Jersey Devils game on TNT and truTV was able to attract 253,000 viewers; this was 59% increase from the previous year’s ratings during the said time slot but it had a catch. That game was not closed, so the audiences could watch it on their regular television networks. But later that night? A game between Pittsburgh Penguins and Utah Hockey Club on the same networks got only 138,000 viewers, which is highly embarrassing for a non-exclusive hockey match. But this was just the beginning !

More fans vent out their frustration!

A frustrated fan chimed in. “It’s true. I have to pay like 3 subs to ensure I don’t have a blackout game. I’m done. Cancelling all of them until someone straightens this out.” That’s the sound of a fed-up hockey lover officially throwing in the towel—and honestly, can you blame them? In any way that you look at it, these figures are not very flattering to the NHL.

Over on ESPN, brand-new ventures like TGL are pulling in close to a million viewers, while even an East-West Shrine Bowl blowout on the NFL Network (a brutal 25-0 rout) managed to outdraw the NHL by 10,000 viewers. But if there’s a bright spot in this mess, it’s ABC. Breeze reports that a showdown between the New York Rangers and Boston Bruins hit a season-high 1.1 million viewers. The NHL’s rare network TV slots seem to be doing alright, but let’s be real—fans are still frustrated. One comment summed it up perfectly: “Agree. It’s too much of a pain now. NHL Center Ice seemed to be easier.” And with the way things are going, they’re not wrong.

The frustration runs deep, and for some fans, it’s about more than just struggling viewership—it’s about missing out on rising stars. One fan voiced their disappointment, saying, “It’s incredibly sad especially in light of the tremendous young talent across every team in the league.” Take Jett Luchanko, for example. The Flyers didn’t even expect their 2024 No. 13 pick to make such an impact so soon, yet he’s already proving to be a standout. But with the NHL’s broadcasting mess, fans barely get to witness his rise. Missing out on young talent like him? That’s a hard reality for hockey lovers to accept.

Another fan threw their hands up in frustration, saying, “I pay for 3 different services just to watch specific games.” And honestly, looking at the NHL’s own website, it’s easy to see why fans are losing their minds. In the U.S., catching a game feels like solving a puzzle with way too many pieces. ESPN+? Hulu? TNT? ABC? NHL Center Ice? Even if you subscribe to everything, there’s still the dreaded blackout waiting to ruin your night. And for out-of-market fans? Good luck navigating that mess. Meanwhile, international fans get their fix with NHL.TV, but at this point, even they might be watching more games than some American diehards.