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Worldwide, hockey has been doing quite alright. There used to be a time when viewership plummeted, and they did so heavily. In fact, many were despairing that the game might be dying. Yet, a lot of people set out to disprove this claim, and a lot of proactive measures were taken by bodies such as the National Hockey League (NHL). What the NHL did was to review the situation and take steps towards improving it. Just like you would want to read the most detailed real money casinos before playing at the casino itself.
And today, the first positive signs of improvement are finally showing up. Hockey viewership numbers are actually in an upswing. The game has managed to attract not only more viewers online, but quite a few fans are now trickling into the ice rink every afternoon and evening.
Speaking of afternoons, this has also become a hockey thing – hosting games in hours that the audience might be available or willing to go. Therefore, there have been some pretty amazing shifts with the overall schedule of hockey games, and particularly in Canada and the United States.
Understandably, the game has been quite popular with the younger generations thanks to a host of measures designed to boost the status of the NHL. And many other things have been changing. For example, the NHL has decided to clamp down harder on hockey players who are in the ring just to pick up a ring.
Great News for NHL Viewership
The uptick in viewership actually started in 2019, and it has kept steady through 2020. At the end of last year, around 352,000 people were tuning in to watch ice hockey broadcasts on NBC Sports – a 24% increase which is quite impressive all by itself.
How has it come to that? It’s hard to say exactly, but the league and individual team efforts have really been putting a whole lot to cast the sport in a new and positive light. For example, Washington Capitals and St Louis Blues and San Jose Sharks have been some of the most-watched games recently and for a good reason.
Hockey has quite a bit of work to put in to catch up to other mainstream sports and their broadcasts, but it’s not necessary to beat them. In fact, hockey is somewhat of a niche sport which definitely takes a lot of grid – similar to American football, but it also requires the right circumstances.
North countries and states are pleased to give it a go as they feel more at home playing on ice than the Southern countries who generally dislike the cold. But even with somewhat restricted geography, hockey can be performing much better.
The current notch up in TV ratings shows just as much, which is a great way to see that a sport can gain popularity without having to sacrifice anything specific. Hockey is a great example of how even some hyped-for sporting contests, such as the XFL can do better by consistently looking to deliver on fans’ expectations.
Appealing to Younger Generations
Equally important, the shift towards younger generations has been really helping out with hockey’s viewership. While many people have been worried youngsters wouldn’t take to this somewhat game, they have been proven wrong.
Youngsters do love hockey – but hockey for the right reasons. The sport is definitely still harsh, and there are flare-ups between players, but the game itself is becoming way more appealing even to those who hate the cold.
In fact, hockey is definitely here to stick, and with the NHL and other organizations doing their best, the future of hockey is secured.
