NHL witnessing a decline in Stanley Cup Final viewership.

Everyone is left wondering why more people aren't watching the Stanley Cup Final.

For years, hockey fans wondered why ESPN seemed to hate hockey. The simple answer is money. They didn't have any hockey games on their networks, so why promote it? During the playoffs they did have a little bit, but not much. 

A couple of years ago, when ESPN secured TV rights for some NHL games, some fans were happy, but some people figured it would be the same old story. Sure they'd have some games, but would they care? So far, it seems like ESPN isn't doing everything in their power to promote the NHL and the games carried on their network.

But what about TNT/TBS? They have a star studded studio. They have some pretty good game coverage, and show commercials. They seem to care a lot more about their hockey coverage than ESPN does anyway. 

So far, through two games of the Stanley Cup Final, compared to last year through two games, viewership is down 1.6 million. Last season, an average of 2 million people per night watched games 1 and 2. Through 2 games this year, viewership is running at an average of 1.3 million per game. That's not good. Why is it down?

Viewership could be down for a few reasons. Last season, it was the Colorado Avalanche vs the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Bolts were coming off of back to back Stanley Cup winning runs. And the Avalanche were looking to upend them. And most fans around the league wanted the Avs to take down the Bolts. 

This season we get the Vegas Golden Knights vs the Florida Panthers. A pair of non-traditional hockey markets. The NHL claims that having non-traditional hockey teams in the Final is good for the sport, but in reality, is it? 

Since Vegas has come into the league, they have gained hoards of haters. Those fans will say "they were given a team to instantly compete" or "Gary Bettman is doing everything in his power to make Vegas successful". And they're not necessarily wrong. But to be honest, it's what a $500 million expansion fee gets you. And compared to the $80 million Columbus and Minnesota paid, one can see why.   

Florida on the other hand, has been around since 1993, and paid a $50 million expansion fee. South Florida is also looked upon as a non-traditional hockey market, although critics will also say Tampa is as well. Florida has had mild success in its history, having won three division titles, a Presidents trophy, and reaching the Final twice. 

But is this the reason viewership is down? Is it ESPN and TNT doing a poor job marketing? Do people hate Vegas so much that they're not even tuning in? One thing I can almost guarantee, if the Panthers don't win game 3, the game 4 numbers will be in the tank. Are you watching this series? Will you be watching tonight?

CBJ fans should be interested considering Columbus is considered non-traditional.