U.S. television ratings for the World Cup of Hockey are out, and as expected, the ratings are wide-ranging, with mixed results for Team USA.
Team USA
Team USA television ratings for the tournament averaged 425,000 viewers per game. The team went 0-3 in the tournament, hampering any kind of buzz from building.
It’s no surprise that Team USA’s high-watermark was the much-anticipated game against Team Canada, which totaled 766,000 viewers. To put that in perspective, only four of the 93 regular season NHL games on NBCSN last season posted a larger audience. The ratings would be good enough for the ninth highest rated show for that night.
On the low end, 148,000 tuned in on a Thursday night for the final game against the Czech Republic. Team USA was already eliminated from the tournament prior to the game, which certainly softened viewership.
Team USA’s tournament opener against Team Europe attracted 360,000 viewers on a Saturday afternoon.
Additional Context
To shed some additional perspective, game one of the best of three series final between Team Canada and Team Europe drew 494,000 viewers for a Tuesday night game.
Team North America versus Team Sweden, possibly the most exciting game of the tournament garnered, 310,000 viewers in the United States on a Wednesday afternoon.
Canadian Ratings
As one would expect, ratings in Canada are higher. Canada vs. Russia attracted 3,100,000 viewers across the great white north. Sweden vs. Europe had 625,000 viewers. Canada-Czech Republic game averaged 1.55 million viewers. North America vs. Finland, 1,010,000 viewers. U.S. vs. Europe, 586,000 viewers. Sweden vs. Russia, Sunday, 487,000 viewers.
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By Jon Sorensen