Max Kellerman became relevant in the hockey world this week, words I never thought I’d say. Kellerman was recently on with Stephen A. Smith and he pretty much gutted hockey’s popularity in the US.
Kellerman stated that no one really cares about hockey in the US, and that the old joke (one that I’ve never heard) is that every town has 20,000 hockey fans and they all have season tickets. That’s why hockey doesn’t do well in the TV ratings.
Here’s the thing though: He’s right. Hockey is not a Big Four sport in this country anymore. It used to be. Hockey peaked in 1994 when the Rangers won the Stanley Cup. It was a great Cup Final. It had a big market team ending a curse. It was a fast paced series. It had everything.
The owners killed half of the 1994-1995 season, losing all momentum following the huge Rangers win. The game then suffered immensely by effectively allowing clutch and grab hockey to take a *clears throat* hold on the game *pause for laughs.* The Detroit/Colorado rivalry was great for the game in that stretch, but that again peaked with Ray Bourque winning the Cup. There was nothing exciting about those Devils teams that won three Cups. They were great teams, but exciting isn’t the word I’d use to describe them. Hockey certainly had great moments, but the overall product was boring.
The on-ice product led to ESPN shifting them to ESPN2 due to lack of ratings. Then the glow puck fiasco happened. More and more clutch and grab led to more goons on the ice instead of players with actual talent. Speed and skill went to the wayside for fighting and cheap shots. The NHL lost significant revenue, and increasing player costs created an imbalance.
Then came the lost season. Then came leaving ESPN for the Outdoor Life Network, which eventually became Versus, then finally settled on NBC Sports. What a ride that was. No one could find OLN or Versus on their cable channels except for actual hockey fans. No one would channel surf, see hockey, and take a pause. Did anyone even get to channel 247? It’s not even that, quite honestly, it’s that ESPN stopped showing actual game highlights on Sportscenter.
Even today, NBC only airs one NHL game before the Winter Classic, and that’s the Black Friday game with the Rangers. That’s what “kicks off” the national broadcast. One game, seven weeks into the season, and then no more games until five weeks later. How is that a viable route to growing the game?
Since the peak in 1994, the NHL has seen three lockouts that amount to two full lost seasons, TV ratings tank, gone from ESPN, to the Outdoor Life Network, and an exclusive deal with NBC that really doesn’t even start airing games until the second half of the season. If you were wondering why no one cares about hockey, this is it.
The league effectively lost an entire generation of hockey fans. In that time, football took over Sundays from Jesus, baseball and basketball each had great storylines that continued their fan growth, golf and Nascar got more popular, and college football took over Saturdays from whoever owned Saturdays prior.
Hockey is a niche sport. It will continue to be a niche sport for some time. That’s just the truth of it all. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I agree with Max Kellerman.
Update: Since there were some comments about revenue, hockey is still the fourth highest American sport in revenue (MLB, NBA, NFL) with revenue close to $5 billion. They are 7th worldwide (La Liga, Premier League).
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FAQs
It's pretty well-established as NFL/MLB/NBA/NHL. Of course, not everyone cares about the NHL, but that doesn't change its status as one of the four major leagues. The NHL, while clearly bringing up the rear among the four main leagues, still makes over four times as much total annual revenue as MLS.
Is hockey a big 4 sport? ›
The Big 4 sports leagues—NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB—achieve international success through strategic sports marketing, regional partnerships, and an understanding of diverse markets.
Why is hockey not popular anymore? ›
In conclusion , Hockey is not as popular as other sports because of the regional differences in the United States, from the issue of where hockey must be played, how much it costs, and how hard it is to play.
Is hockey a top 4 sport? ›
MLB, NBA, NFL, and NHL are commonly referred to as the "Big Four". Each of these is the wealthiest professional club competition in its sport worldwide, and along with the English Premier League they make up the top five sports leagues by revenue in the world.
Why is NHL the least popular sport? ›
Many families simply cannot afford to have a child to play hockey. Some people don't have easy access to a hockey rink. Ice time can be pricey, and there may be select hours to practice. Markoulis also said the marketability of the NHL's top prospects is lagging when compared with basketball, baseball and football.
Why is the NHL declining? ›
Hockey's biggest stage isn't as big as it used to be…
One reason for the decline in viewership may be the lack of a national broadcast deal in the United States. Currently, games are split between several different networks, making it harder for fans to access and follow their favourite teams.
Is MLS bigger than NHL? ›
No, the National Hockey League (NHL) is generally more popular than Major League Soccer (MLS) in the USA in terms of viewership, attendance, and overall fan engagement.
Is hockey the least watched sport? ›
Overview
| Sport | Favorite sport | TV viewing record (since 2010)1 |
|---|
| Basketball | 11% | 30.8m |
| Baseball | 9% | 40.0m |
| Soccer | 7% | 29.3m |
| Ice hockey | 4% | 43.6m |
1 more rowThis year's valuations show that the NHL has full recovered from Covid. This past year, revenue rose 8.6%, to an average of $201 million per team (including arena proceeds from non-NHL events).
Is hockey becoming more or less popular? ›
The league has significantly surged in its popularity and is expanding its fanbase in recent years. This is even reflected in the increasing number of fans who are using NHL picks and parlays with other information to place bets on their favorite teams and players.
| Degree of Difficulty: Sport Rankings |
|---|
| Boxing | 8.63 | 1 |
| Ice Hockey | 7.25 | 2 |
| Football | 5.38 | 3 |
| Basketball | 7.38 | 4 |
33 more rowsHockey is often considered one of the hardest sports in the world due to a number of factors. One of the most significant is the speed and physicality of the game. Players skate at high speeds and are constantly in motion, making it difficult to maintain control of the puck and navigate the ice.
What is China's most popular sport? ›
The Latest Most Popular Sports In China Statistics Explained
- Soccer is identified as the most popular sport in China, followed by basketball and tennis. ...
- China has won the most Olympic gold medals in table tennis, having secured 28 golds till 2021.
Ice hockey is immensely popular in Canada, where it is the national winter sport and arguably the country's most popular game. Hockey is also popular in the United States and in European countries such as Russia, Sweden, and Finland.
What is the least successful NHL team? ›
The Montreal Wanderers, having had their arena burn down during the first NHL season, have the fewest games played (6), wins (1), and points (2), as well as the lowest point percentage (. 167).
Is NHL more American or Canadian? ›
Nationalities of NHL players
The number of US-born players in the NHL has reached an all-time high this season, at 29.3 percent of the league. In contrast, the percentage of Canadian players has dropped to 41.2 percent, the lowest of all time.
What are the big 4 sports? ›
Ranking the 115 U.S.-based “Big Four” professional sports teams (NBA, NFL, NHL, MLB) and 80 “Power” conference college programs (ACC, Big Ten, SEC, Big 12, Pac-12, Big East) by Nielsen TV market size.
How big of a sport is hockey? ›
I still hear it referred to in American broadcasts as one of the big 4 sports, along with Football, Basketball, and Baseball. Hockey is last on that list, but still considered major.
What are the Big 4 sports leagues? ›
The sports equinox occurs when the NFL, MLB, NBA and NHL all hold games on the same day. While the celebration centers around the “Big Four” leagues, other sports can also get involved, too.
