Kraken Nine Game Points Streak On Line Thursday Vs. Ottawa At CPA
The national TV ratings for the 2024 Winter Classic can be summed up in three words: disappointing, but understandable. At the end of this story, we explain why Seattle Kraken fans can respond with two words: "Who cares?"
Disappointing Ratings
Disappointing, because an average of 1.1 million viewers watched the Seattle Kraken shut out the Vegas Golden Knights at T-Mobile Park on New Year's day.
That's lower than any previous Winter Classic, according to Sports Media Watch (SMW).
Only one of the other 14 previous Winter Classics has averaged less than 1.78 million viewers. The top-rated game came in 2011; a primetime Washington victory over Pittsburgh at Heinz Field drew 4.5 million.
Understandable Ratings
Understandable, for a multitude - and we do mean a multitude - of reasons.
- For one, the ratings comparison is pucks to petunias. All but the last three Classics were broadcast over the air by NBC. Since 2022, the game has belonged to cable's TNT, which has a smaller footprint.
- To accommodate the Pacific time zone locale, puck drop was pushed back to 3:30 pm Eastern time. That put the second half of the hockey game squarely opposite a monster college football playoff matchup.
- Did we mention the teams involved in the Rose Bowl game, Michigan and Alabama? Only the two winningest programs in college history, both of which have been playing the sport for more than 130 years. Those facts drive national followings - not to mention they were competing for a spot in the championship. By comparison, the hockey game takes place midway through its regular season. Besides, in Big 10 and SEC country, college football runs neck-and-neck with Jesus in popularity. SMW reports Winter Classic viewership peaked at 1.4 million, before remote controls began clicking at the Rose Bowl's kickoff.
Predictable Ratings
It wasn't just football competition working against Winter Classic viewership.
- The NHL likes its marquee in-season spectacle to feature tradition-laden teams from big TV markets. Think past matchups, Boston Bruins-Chicago Blackhawks and N.Y. Rangers-Philadelphia Flyers. The Winter Classic also benefits from the charm of its locations - Wrigley Field, Fenway Park, even the aforementioned University of Michigan's "Big House."The Seattle TV market is #13, Las Vegas #40. The Golden Knights joined the league in 2017, the Kraken in 2021. Given the newness of the franchises, and the parochial nature of NHL fandom, not much chance to build a TV following outside their home cities. And no fault of T-Mobile Park, but it ain't Wrigley or Fenway.
- One final factor working against Kraken v. Golden Knights was lack of star power. That top-rated 2011 Winter Classic featured the Capitals' Alex Ovechkin and the Penguins' Sidney Crosby. Matty Beniers vs. Mark Stone couldn't possibly capture the casual sports fan's imagination the same way.
In Seattle, Forget The Ratings
To the extent national TV ratings for the Winter Classic are a concern, that's a headache for NHL HQ.
None of this dims the smashing success of the event for the Kraken franchise, its players and personnel, and Puget Sound writ large. Seattle proved - if any proof was necessary - that its hockey culture is Big League.
Fans "showed out," more than 47,000 packing the ballpark. Players got in the spirit, arriving in region-inspired fishing outfits. Seattle's own Heart and Sir Mix-a-Lot added to the festivities. So did a mix of area sports legends honored during the 2nd intermission. Even the weather cooperated.
Most important of all, when gametime arrived, the Kraken rose to the occasion. Joey Daccord stopped all the pucks; Eeli Tolvanen, Will Borgen and Yanni Gourde scored all the goals; they and their teammates ensured a day full of memories ended victoriously.
