tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62486057785454540972024-03-15T20:09:54.585-05:00Buffalo Sabres TV RatingsA quick reference that displays published information about Buffalo Sabres TV ratings, broadcast details, and other NHL television notes.gallagherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07558218349655810143noreply@blogger.comBlogger54125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6248605778545454097.post-76315898448320814012009-06-29T21:32:00.002-05:002009-06-29T21:52:22.626-05:00Game 7 RatingThe deciding game of the 2009 Stanley Cup Finals earned an impressive 13.5 local rating in Buffalo according to Alan Pergament's <a href="http://www.buffalonews.com/entertainment/story/716325.html">column</a> in Saturday's issue of the Buffalo News.<br /><br />It's safe to assume that Buffalo was the third highest rated market with that figure, but the Top Ten local markets were never made public. Pittsburgh <a href="http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/s_630947.html">set</a> a local ratings record for NHL markets with a 42.2 rating.gallagherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07558218349655810143noreply@blogger.com92tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6248605778545454097.post-89868913419638751492009-06-06T12:31:00.002-05:002009-06-06T12:46:20.401-05:00Buffalo 3rd in Cup Finals RatingsBuffalo, likely because of how disappointing the Sabres past two seasons have been, has been paying much less attention to the Stanley Cup playoffs than it usually does.<br /><br />That said, the rematch between the Detroit Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins is still drawing more interest in Buffalo than any other American city without a rooting interest. From the NHL's press release:<br /><br /><span name="intelliTxt" id="intelliTXT"><p>TOP 10 MARKETS (based on overnight ratings) </p><p>SATURDAY, GAME 1<br />1. Pittsburgh, 26.5/43<br />2. Detroit, 19.3/34<br />3. Buffalo, 5.2/9<br />4. Columbus, 3.5/6<br />5. Ft. Myers, 3.3/5<br />6. St. Louis, 3.0/6<br />T7. Indianapolis, 2.8/5<br />T7. Cincinnati, 2.8/5<br />9. Oklahoma City, 2.4/5<br />10. Chicago, 2.3/5 </p><p>SUNDAY, GAME 2<br />1. Pittsburgh, 31.7/43<br />2. Detroit, 28.1/43<br />3. Buffalo, 7.2/11<br />4. Philadelphia, 4.5/7<br />5. St. Louis, 3.8/7<br />6. Baltimore, 3.7/6<br />T7. Washington D.C., 3.4/6<br />T7. Minneapolis, 3.4/6<br />T7. Columbus, 3.4/6<br />T7. Ft. Myers, 3.4/5<br /></p><br /><p>Game 2 was the most watched Finals game nationally in seven years.<br /></p></span>gallagherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07558218349655810143noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6248605778545454097.post-26960558167568393352009-01-19T18:38:00.003-05:002009-01-19T18:43:44.808-05:00League Wide Ratings (Jan. 13th)Sports Business Journal <a href="http://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/article/61172">listed</a> the league-wide local television ratings for the American markets (as well as some good information on national ratings and attendance) in a recent article. The Buffalo market is tops in the country once again.<br /><br /><table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" width="500"><tbody><tr><td style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); font-size: 11px;" align="left" valign="top">Anaheim Ducks</td> <td style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); font-size: 11px;" align="left" valign="top">Prime Ticket (17)</td> <td style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); font-size: 11px;" align="left" valign="top">0.29</td> <td style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); font-size: 11px;" align="left" valign="top">11.50%</td> </tr> <tr bgcolor="#e9e0c5"> <td style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); font-size: 11px;" align="left" valign="top">Atlanta Thrashers</td> <td style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); font-size: 11px;" align="left" valign="top">SportSouth (27)</td> <td style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); font-size: 11px;" align="left" valign="top">0.23</td> <td style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); font-size: 11px;" align="left" valign="top">21.10%</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); font-size: 11px;" align="left" valign="top">Boston Bruins</td> <td style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); font-size: 11px;" align="left" valign="top">NESN (37)</td> <td style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); font-size: 11px;" align="left" valign="top">2.16</td> <td style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); font-size: 11px;" align="left" valign="top">53.20%</td> </tr> <tr bgcolor="#e9e0c5"> <td style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); font-size: 11px;" align="left" valign="top">Buffalo Sabres</td> <td style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); font-size: 11px;" align="left" valign="top">MSG (38)</td> <td style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); font-size: 11px;" align="left" valign="top">8.87</td> <td style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); font-size: 11px;" align="left" valign="top">3.70%</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); font-size: 11px;" align="left" valign="top">Chicago Blackhawks</td> <td style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); font-size: 11px;" align="left" valign="top">Comcast SportsNet Chicago (26)</td> <td style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); font-size: 11px;" align="left" valign="top">1.07</td> <td style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); font-size: 11px;" align="left" valign="top">72.60%</td> </tr> <tr bgcolor="#e9e0c5"> <td style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); font-size: 11px;" align="left" valign="top">Columbus Blue Jackets</td> <td style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); font-size: 11px;" align="left" valign="top">Fox Sports Ohio (37)</td> <td style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); font-size: 11px;" align="left" valign="top">1.43</td> <td style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); font-size: 11px;" align="left" valign="top">40.20%</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); font-size: 11px;" align="left" valign="top">Dallas Stars</td> <td style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); font-size: 11px;" align="left" valign="top">Fox Sports Southwest (32)</td> <td style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); font-size: 11px;" align="left" valign="top">0.52</td> <td style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); font-size: 11px;" align="left" valign="top">18.20%</td> </tr> <tr bgcolor="#e9e0c5"> <td style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); font-size: 11px;" align="left" valign="top">Denver Avalanche</td> <td style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); font-size: 11px;" align="left" valign="top">Altitude (35)</td> <td style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); font-size: 11px;" align="left" valign="top">1.65</td> <td style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); font-size: 11px;" align="left" valign="top">21.30%</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); font-size: 11px;" align="left" valign="top">Detroit Red Wings</td> <td style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); font-size: 11px;" align="left" valign="top">Fox Sports Detroit (32)</td> <td style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); font-size: 11px;" align="left" valign="top">3.7</td> <td style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); font-size: 11px;" align="left" valign="top">-21.80%</td> </tr> <tr bgcolor="#e9e0c5"> <td style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); font-size: 11px;" align="left" valign="top">Florida Panthers</td> <td style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); font-size: 11px;" align="left" valign="top">Fox Sports Florida (29)</td> <td style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); font-size: 11px;" align="left" valign="top">0.15</td> <td style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); font-size: 11px;" align="left" valign="top">-16.70%</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); font-size: 11px;" align="left" valign="top">Los Angeles Kings</td> <td style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); font-size: 11px;" align="left" valign="top">Fox Sports West (31)</td> <td style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); font-size: 11px;" align="left" valign="top">0.38</td> <td style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); font-size: 11px;" align="left" valign="top">26.70%</td> </tr> <tr bgcolor="#e9e0c5"> <td style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); font-size: 11px;" align="left" valign="top">Minnesota Wild</td> <td style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); font-size: 11px;" align="left" valign="top">Fox Sports North (22)</td> <td style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); font-size: 11px;" align="left" valign="top">2.22</td> <td style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); font-size: 11px;" align="left" valign="top">-12.90%</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); font-size: 11px;" align="left" valign="top">New Jersey Devils</td> <td style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); font-size: 11px;" align="left" valign="top">MSG+ (31)</td> <td style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); font-size: 11px;" align="left" valign="top">0.38</td> <td style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); font-size: 11px;" align="left" valign="top">15.20%</td> </tr> <tr bgcolor="#e9e0c5"> <td style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); font-size: 11px;" align="left" valign="top">New York Islanders</td> <td style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); font-size: 11px;" align="left" valign="top">MSG+ (30)</td> <td style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); font-size: 11px;" align="left" valign="top">0.17</td> <td style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); font-size: 11px;" align="left" valign="top">-37.00%</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); font-size: 11px;" align="left" valign="top">New York Rangers</td> <td style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); font-size: 11px;" align="left" valign="top">MSG (36)</td> <td style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); font-size: 11px;" align="left" valign="top">1.03</td> <td style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); font-size: 11px;" align="left" valign="top">-3.70%</td> </tr> <tr bgcolor="#e9e0c5"> <td style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); font-size: 11px;" align="left" valign="top">Philadelphia Flyers</td> <td style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); font-size: 11px;" align="left" valign="top">Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia (32)</td> <td style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); font-size: 11px;" align="left" valign="top">2.22</td> <td style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); font-size: 11px;" align="left" valign="top">1.40%</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); font-size: 11px;" align="left" valign="top">Phoenix Coyotes</td> <td style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); font-size: 11px;" align="left" valign="top">Fox Sports Arizona (22)</td> <td style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); font-size: 11px;" align="left" valign="top">0.5</td> <td style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); font-size: 11px;" align="left" valign="top">100.00%</td> </tr> <tr bgcolor="#e9e0c5"> <td style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); font-size: 11px;" align="left" valign="top">Pittsburgh Penguins</td> <td style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); font-size: 11px;" align="left" valign="top">Fox Sports Pittsburgh (37)</td> <td style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); font-size: 11px;" align="left" valign="top">6.14</td> <td style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); font-size: 11px;" align="left" valign="top">22.10%</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); font-size: 11px;" align="left" valign="top">San Jose Sharks</td> <td style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); font-size: 11px;" align="left" valign="top">Comcast SportsNet Bay Area (31)</td> <td style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); font-size: 11px;" align="left" valign="top">1.25</td> <td style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); font-size: 11px;" align="left" valign="top">42.00%</td> </tr> <tr bgcolor="#e9e0c5"> <td style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); font-size: 11px;" align="left" valign="top">St. Louis Blues</td> <td style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); font-size: 11px;" align="left" valign="top">Fox Sports Midwest (25)</td> <td style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); font-size: 11px;" align="left" valign="top">1.32</td> <td style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); font-size: 11px;" align="left" valign="top">-42.90%</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); font-size: 11px;" align="left" valign="top">Tampa Bay Lightning</td> <td style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); font-size: 11px;" align="left" valign="top">Sun Sports (31)</td> <td style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); font-size: 11px;" align="left" valign="top">0.49</td> <td style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); font-size: 11px;" align="left" valign="top">-21.00%</td> </tr> <tr bgcolor="#e9e0c5"> <td style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); font-size: 11px;" align="left" valign="top">Washington Capitals</td> <td style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); font-size: 11px;" align="left" valign="top">Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic (31)</td> <td style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); font-size: 11px;" align="left" valign="top">1.2</td> <td style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); font-size: 11px;" align="left" valign="top">140.00%</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br />Impressive gains in Washington, Chicago, and Boston. Detroit continues to slide back towards the pack. It seems that the Red Wings attendance problems may not be solely economic.gallagherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07558218349655810143noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6248605778545454097.post-7048822480761501972008-12-08T18:52:00.002-05:002008-12-08T19:09:26.989-05:00League Wide RatingsThe <a href="http://blog.nielsen.com/nielsenwire/media_entertainment/sports-wrap-nhl-teams-on-ratings-power-play/">Nielsen Wire blog</a> gave listings for local American TV ratings throughout the NHL as of December 3rd. Buffalo leads the NHL once again with an 8.9 figure, up 14% from last season.<br /><br /><table class="chart" border="0"><tbody><tr><th colspan="2">Top US Local Ratings 2008-09 Season</th> </tr> <tr> <th>NHL Teams</th> <th>Avg. Local HH Rating</th> </tr> <tr> <td class="axis">Buffalo Sabres</td> <td>8.9</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="axis">Pittsburgh Penguins</td> <td>5.7</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="axis">Detroit Red Wings</td> <td>3.3</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="axis">Minnesota Wild</td> <td>2.6</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="axis">Philadelphia Flyers</td> <td>2.1</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="axis">Colorado Avalanche</td> <td>1.9</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="axis">St. Louis Blues</td> <td>1.9</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="axis">Boston Bruins</td> <td>1.6</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="axis">Columbus Blue Jackets</td> <td>1.3</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="axis">Washington Capitals</td> <td>1.2</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="axis">Chicago Blackhawks</td> <td>1.2</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="axis">San Jose Sharks</td> <td>1.2</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="axis">NY Rangers</td> <td>1.2</td></tr></tbody></table>gallagherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07558218349655810143noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6248605778545454097.post-58304428897771496082008-10-25T11:46:00.002-05:002008-10-25T11:53:42.414-05:00First Figure of 2008-2009 SeasonThe first individual game rating was <a href="http://www.buffalonews.com/494/story/473639.html">reported</a> by Alan Pergament of The Buffalo News on Saturday. The information is for Thursday October 23rd's 4-3 OT win over the Minnesota Wild.<br /><br /><blockquote>Tampa Bay’s 4-2 win in Game Two — which aired opposite the Buffalo Sabres’ overtime win in Minnesota — slipped to a 5.7 here. The Sabres game averaged a 10.1 rating.</blockquote><br /><br />A double digit number for an off-time October game against a relatively boring Western Conference opponent ( all while competing against the World Series) bodes well for the Buffalo region's bid to have the highest TV ratings among American markets for the fourth consecutive season.<br /><blockquote></blockquote>gallagherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07558218349655810143noreply@blogger.com50tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6248605778545454097.post-42440024032904541122008-04-24T18:38:00.004-05:002008-04-24T19:32:42.599-05:00Around The NHL: Round 1Think about the following the next time you hear ESPN bash the NHL for having lower TV ratings than some obscure sport or cable show. 20% of NHL markets are located in Canada where ratings "don't count" including some of the most storied franchises in the league. Isn't it ironic that the "worldwide leader" conveniently ignores the fact that the NHL is popular and highly viewed in Canada? If Montreal plays Detroit for the title, there's a good chance that the Stanley Cup Finals will be watched by more North Americans than the NBA Finals or the World Series. Something tells me SportsCenter might not mention that.<br /><br />It was a very encouraging opening round for the NHL from a ratings standpoint. Obviously, this is all relative as Versus still hasn't cracked a 1.0 rating yet for any individual team, but the <a href="http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/article/120277">percentage increases</a> are still noteworthy.<br /><br /><blockquote>Versus averaged a 362,958 viewers (0.4 coverage rating) for 26 games in its coverage of the NHL Playoffs first round, up 26.7% from last season's 23 opening-round games, which averaged 286,476 viewers (0.3 coverage area rating). The net also gains in male demos 18-34 (+66.8%), 18-49 (+65.6%) and 25-54 (+67.4%). Flyers-Capitals Game Seven Tuesday night was the net's most-viewed game, averaging 682,000 viewers and a 0.7 coverage rating.</blockquote><br />In addition to the Flyers Game 7 win the following games earned a rating of .5 or higher for Versus: Game 7 of the Flames/Sharks series, Game 5 of the Predators/Red Wings series, and Game 7 of the Bruins/Habs series.<br /><br />The ratings for RDS in Montreal are simply mind-boggling. <a href="http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=sbd.preview&articleID=120239">Here</a> are the numbers for the Montreal/Boston matchup:<br /><br />Game 5: 1.737 million viewers (RDS)<br />Game 6: 1.882 million viewers (RDS)<br />Game 7: 2.031 million viewers (RDS)<br />Series Average: 1.696 million viewers (RDS)<br /><br />Keep in mind, RDS only reaches 2.6 million households. Canada lists its TV ratings in terms of viewers and not households like in the United States, but even still, these are amazing figures.<br /><br />In addition to the French telecast that's shown on RDS, this series was broadcast throughout Canada in English on CBC. Game 7 on CBC drew 2.070 million viewers. So, in Canada alone,<span style="font-weight: bold;"> 4.1 million people</span> watched the Canadiens beat the Bruins. That's 4.1 million people watching a first round NHL game in a country of ~30 million people. Think about that. The series <a href="http://www.globesports.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080423.wspttruth23/GSStory/GlobeSportsHockey/home">averaged</a> 1.501 million viewers on CBC, which means the series averaged a total of 3.2 million viewers in Canada alone. Impressive.<br /><br />Other ratings notes:<br /><br />NBC <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/televisionNews/idUSN2224939820080424">extends</a> its deal with the NHL for another season.<br /><br />The Caps/Flyers series <a href="http://tvbythenumbers.com/2008/04/16/local-tv-ratings-for-nhl-jump-for-washington-capitals-and-philadelphia-flyers/3374">set</a> local ratings records in D.C., Philly, and Baltimore.<br /><br />Sens/Pens Game 3 <a href="http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=sbd.preview&articleID=120085">earned</a> a 16.5 rating in Pittsburgh, which was the 3rd highest rated game ever on FSN-Pittsburgh.gallagherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07558218349655810143noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6248605778545454097.post-51169822576540474222008-04-19T12:34:00.002-05:002008-04-19T12:49:14.056-05:00Buffalo Draws NBC's Highest RatingEven though the Sabres aren't there, Buffalo is still interested in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Apparently, they're more interested than some of the cities with teams playing. The Buffalo DMA <a href="http://www.buffalonews.com/sports/nba/story/326822.html">drew</a> a higher rating than any other market for the Flyers 2-0 victory over Washington on April 13th on NBC, including Philadelphia and Washington D.C.<br /><br /><blockquote>Buffalo clearly is a hockey town after the Bills’ season ends, with last Sunday’s playoff game between Washington and the Philadelphia Flyers and ex-Sabres Daniel Briere and Martin Biron getting a higher rating here (about a 5) than it did in Philly, D.C. and the rest of the country on NBC.</blockquote><br /><br />The roughly 5.0 figure in Buffalo exceeds the <a href="http://tvbythenumbers.com/2008/04/14/masters-nhl-and-nba-weekend-nielsen-ratings/3326">3.8 rating</a> in Philadelphia and the <a href="http://tvbythenumbers.com/2008/04/14/masters-nhl-and-nba-weekend-nielsen-ratings/3326">3.0 rating</a> in the Washington D.C. area. The game <a href="http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20080416.TRUTH16/TPStory/Sports/columnists">drew</a> a 1.0 rating nationally, which was down from a 1.2 comparable rating last year. However, this year's first round matchup did have to compete with the Masters, which likely drew some viewers away.gallagherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07558218349655810143noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6248605778545454097.post-17713003494615550462008-04-17T20:44:00.002-05:002008-04-17T20:52:06.421-05:00Regular Season AverageThe Sabres <a href="http://www.buffalonews.com/entertainment/story/321485.html">averaged</a> an 8.3 local rating in the Buffalo <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">DMA</span> on MSG for the 2007-2008 regular season.<br /><br /><blockquote>The Buffalo Sabres ended the regular season averaging an 8.3 rating on MSG, which is in the ballpark of the average ratings for prime time programming on the local Fox and CBS affiliates and ahead of the local ABC and NBC affiliates. The 8.3 rating is about a 60 percent improvement on the 5.1 rating the Sabres had in their President’s Cup winning season of 2006-07. But it really <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">isn</span>’t an apt comparison. The 5.1 rating came with an asterisk because Nielsen has since acknowledged that a technical issue made it vastly lower than it should have been.</blockquote><br /><br />The <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">underreporting</span> issue has been well-documented here, so comparing this season to the '06-'07 campaign really is useless. The 8.3 figure is still tops in the NHL by a significant margin, but it's pretty disappointing all things considered. If Sabres management hadn't messed up the past <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">offseason</span> so badly, the number would almost certainly be in the double digits and there would be plenty of playoff ratings in the upper 20's still to be reported. Instead, we'll just have to wait and see if Buffalo can hold off Pittsburgh for next year's ratings title. And there's always that chance we'll pull a higher rating for the Cup Finals than one of the markets playing in it.gallagherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07558218349655810143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6248605778545454097.post-12084320119994469572008-03-30T14:06:00.005-05:002008-03-30T16:04:33.993-05:00Ratings for 3/10 and 3/27Alan Pergament gives the ratings for The Sabres shootout loss on Versus to the Rangers on March 10th and the Sabres shootout win over Ottawa on MSG on March 27th in his most recent <a href="http://www.buffalonews.com/opinion/columns/alanpergament/story/310451.html">column</a>:<br /><br /><blockquote>The low Thursday ratings [for the NCAA men's basketball tournament] were partly due to competition on MSG for three hours with the Buffalo Sabres’ shootout victory over Ottawa. The Sabres game had a 10.8 rating.<br /><br /></blockquote><blockquote>If the Sabres miss the playoffs, Versus, the cable home of the NHL, may be as unhappy as local fans. This area remains a terrific TV market for hockey. The Sabres’ overtime loss to the New York Rangers a few weeks ago had a 10.2 rating on Versus, making it the highest-rated program in prime time here. It averaged a 14.4 rating in the last hour. In New York City, the game averaged a 1.4 rating.<br /></blockquote><br />Buffalo's the only American market in the NHL where hockey games are regularly earn the highest rating of any prime time show, network or cable. The double digit ratings this late in a disappointing season are encouraging.<br /><br />To put that in perspective, Pittsburgh (one of the "Big 3" NHL American TV markets with Buffalo and Detroit) recently earned a <a href="http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08089/869032-61.stm">10.7 local rating</a>. That was the second highest rating of any regular season game in Penguins history. Buffalo got a 10.8 in a down season for a pretty much average regular season game competing against march Madness.gallagherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07558218349655810143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6248605778545454097.post-82290523404506137182008-03-04T23:59:00.002-05:002008-03-05T00:07:52.186-05:00Ratings for 2/25 and 2/27Alan Pergament <a href="http://www.buffalonews.com/sports/sabresnhl/story/288567.html">reports</a> on the Sabres ratings for the February 25th home game against Philadelphia and the February 27th home contest versus Nashville:<br /><blockquote><br />Buffalo’s passion for hockey was most evident during Campbell’s last game as a Sabre — a 4-3 loss to Philadelphia carried on Versus. The game had a 12.2 local rating, easily making it the highest-rated prime time program here on Monday. The Sabres’ 8-4 victory over Nashville on Wednesday featuring newcomer Steve Bernier’s debut had a 12.0 rating, behind only “American Idol” (16.0) in prime time.</blockquote><br />The win over Nashville was carried on MSG. Obviously, ratings over 12 are phenomenal and Tuesday's big nationally televised win over Philadelphia should garner a big number despite competition from American Idol. A strong playoff run could push Buffalo's season average to a 10.0, which would be the first double digit regular season average for an NHL team that I've ever heard of.gallagherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07558218349655810143noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6248605778545454097.post-64520133279088990342008-01-29T22:27:00.000-05:002008-01-29T22:38:45.124-05:00Buffalo Tops All-Star Game RatingsBuffalo was the <a href="http://www.nhl.com/nhl/app?articleid=351648&page=NewsPage&service=page">highest rated local market</a> for the 2008 NHL All-Star Game with a 3.3 rating and the only market in the United States where Versus was the #1 rated channel for that time slot. However, that's down significantly from 7.1 rating from the 2007 All-Star Game that featured three Sabres in the starting line-up. In 2007, an additional 2.7 rating was registered on CBC; CBC's rating in Buffalo for this year's game is not yet available.<br /><br />Here are ratings for some markets with Versus cable network ranking in parenthesis:<br /><br />1) Buffalo: 3.3 (#1)<br />2) Pittsburgh: 3.0 (#3)<br />3) Detroit: 2.8 (#4)<br />4) Philadelphia: 2.2 (#3)<br />5) Minneapolis-St. Paul: 2.1 (#2)<br />6) New York: 1.0 (#11)gallagherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07558218349655810143noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6248605778545454097.post-24050248501427843842008-01-28T18:13:00.000-05:002008-01-28T18:26:47.129-05:00NHL All-Star Game RatingSports Business Daily <a href="http://sportsbusinessdaily.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=sbd.preview&articleID=118080">reports</a> that the NHL All-Star Game in Atlanta drew a bigger rating than the 2007 Game in Dallas, but it was a still a poor figure compared to the past. The rating in Atlanta is especially troubling.<br /><br /><blockquote>Last night's NHL All-Star game on Versus earned a 0.76 rating in the metered markets, which is up from a 0.54 last year. Host city Atlanta's preliminary rating was a 0.25, which is down from a 0.54 for host-city Dallas last year.</blockquote><br />The 2007 All-Star Game <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22824087/from/id/16859426/">actually</a> garnered a .7 national rating last year, so the increase in fairly small. The figures for local markets will likely come out tomorrow.gallagherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07558218349655810143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6248605778545454097.post-39746937351231131612008-01-19T15:13:00.000-05:002008-01-19T15:38:45.079-05:00League Wide ComparisonOn December 18th, the owner of the Washington Capitals, Ted Leonsis, <a href="http://ted.aol.com/index.php?ID=1545">posted</a> a look at American TV ratings around the NHL. Now that we have Buffalo's figures, here's a comparison. Keep in mind that Buffalo's figures are from January 18th, while the other teams are current as of December 18th. (Data for Carolina, Nashville, Boston, and Colorado was not available.)<br /><br />1) Buffalo Sabres: 8.50<br />2) Pittsburgh Penguins: 5.08<br />3) Detroit Red Wings: 4.64<br />4) Minnesota Wild: 2.62<br />5) St. Louis Blues: 2.43<br />6) Philadelphia Flyers: 2.30<br />7) New York Rangers: 1.08<br />8) Columbus Blue Jackets: 1.04<br />9) San Jose Sharks: 0.90<br />10) Tampa Bay Lightning: 0.66<br />11) Chicago Blackhawks: 0.60<br />12) Washington Capitals: 0.50<br />13) Dallas Stars: 0.41<br />14) New Jersey Devils: 0.36<br />15) Los Angeles Kings: 0.31<br />16) Anaheim Ducks: 0.27<br />17) New York Islanders: 0.25<br />18) Phoenix Coyotes: 0.23<br />19) Atlanta Thrashers: 0.18<br />20) Florida Panthers: 0.17gallagherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07558218349655810143noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6248605778545454097.post-20021998975654544382008-01-19T14:56:00.000-05:002008-01-19T15:09:18.108-05:00Sabres/Devils Rating and Season AverageThe Sabres shootout loss to the Devils on January 12th <a href="http://www.buffalonews.com/sports/billsnfl/story/255335.html?imw=Y">earned</a> an 8.3 rating for MSG. Considering that the Devils have historically played a sleep-inducing brand of hockey, it was a home game, it was game #9 of what would eventually be a 10 game winless streak, and it was competing with the second round of the NFL playoffs, that's a very good number.<br /><br />Also of significance from Pergament's article, the Sabres have averaged an 8.5 local rating on MSG so far in the 2007-2008 season. While that's technically an increase, a reporting error lead to ratings figures being artificially lower last season, so the true rating number is merely an estimation. It seems safe to figure that Buffalo drew between a 9.0 and 10.0 in 2006-2007. The lower figure this year, however, doesn't include the gigantic rating for the Winter Classic or any other nationally televised games that tend to draw big numbers. The fact that the Sabres still have the highest rating in the NHL among American teams despite struggling on the ice is a testament to the NHL's popularity in Buffalo.gallagherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07558218349655810143noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6248605778545454097.post-32745516763783203242008-01-02T17:54:00.000-05:002008-01-02T18:14:30.153-05:00Winter Classic RatingsThe Winter Classic on NBC earned a 38.2 rating 58 share locally. In Pittsburgh the game drew an impressive 17.7 rating with a 30 share. Nationally, the match-up between the Pens and Sabres earned the highest rating for an NHL regular season game since February of 1996 with a 2.6 rating and 5 share.<br /><br />The figure in Buffalo is even more impressive when you consider there were 82,000+ people in attendance at Ralph Wilson Stadium and HSBC Arena. In a market as small as Buffalo, that's likely ~5 ratings points. Additionally, the Ice Bowl was an "event", which have been notoriously difficult to properly rate since s many people throw parties and get together to watch the game.<br /><br />All in all, it's a step in the right direction for the NHL. <a href="http://www.tvweek.com/news/2008/01/viewers_warm_to_nhls_winter_cl.php">TV Week</a> lists the top ten rated markets:<br /><br /><p><strong>Top 10 Metered Markets:</strong></p> <p>1. Buffalo, N.Y., 38.2/58</p> <p>2. Pittsburgh 17.7/30</p> <p>3. Minneapolis 5.1/11</p> <p>4. Denver 3.7/7</p> <p>5 (tie). Providence, R.I., 3.5/7</p> <p>5 (tie). Las Vegas 3.5/6</p> <p>7. St. Louis 3.3/5</p> <p>8. Boston 3.2/6</p> <p>9. Sacramento 2.9/6</p> <p>10 (tie). Richmond, Va., 2.8/5</p> <p>10 (tie). Hartford, Conn., 2.8/5</p>gallagherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07558218349655810143noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6248605778545454097.post-52453637440995361322007-12-04T21:43:00.000-05:002007-12-04T21:46:50.078-05:00ESPN To Carry The NHL Again?<a href="http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=11578">Andy Strickland</a> reports a rumor that ESPN will resume coverage of the NHL, including the playoffs, next year taking over for NBC:<br /><br /><blockquote>Expect the NHL to announce that Versus will remain the cable carrier for NHL games heading into next season. A mutual option must be agreed upon by the January 1st 2008 deadline. No official agreement has been made but sources tell me not to expect the NHL and Comcast to part ways.<br /><br />You can also expect to hear an announcement from the NHL that either ESPN or ESPN 2 will replace NBC and begin televising games next season. Sources tell me that the news is looking very positive for ESPN.<br /><br />The biggest thing for ESPN is that they once again are televising the Stanley Cup playoffs and more importantly the finals. <br /><br />An announcement will likely come sometime during this season’s Stanley Cup playoffs. </blockquote><br />Potentially good news.gallagherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07558218349655810143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6248605778545454097.post-59522288724138086732007-11-01T00:05:00.000-05:002007-11-01T00:07:39.345-05:00New Time Warner ChannelsIn addition to the NHL Network, Time Warner is <a href="http://www.wgrz.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=52298">adding</a> Versus HD.<br /><br /><blockquote>On October 31st, customers will be able to watch the NHL Network on Channel 171 and Versus HD on Channel 771. <br /><br />The NHL Network launched in the U.S. on October 1st. Fans can watch live NHL games, (subject to local blackout restrictions) highights and other league programming on the network. They'll also be able to enjoy sporting events, including NHL Hockey, in high definition on Versus HD. </blockquote>gallagherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07558218349655810143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6248605778545454097.post-36646039250661834402007-10-17T17:58:00.000-05:002007-10-17T18:02:32.083-05:00Time Warner To Add NHL Network in BuffaloAfter purchasing the rights to carry NHL Network nationally, Time Warner's Buffalo division has <a href="http://www.buffalonews.com/sports/story/186249.html">announced</a> they will be adding the channel in the near future despite speculation that they would not.<br /><br /><blockquote>Stay tuned for The NHL Network on Time Warner. Robin Wolfgang, the spokesperson for the cable company, said today the channel will be added to the system shortly.<p>"We know our customers like hockey and it seemed like a good option," said Wolfgang.</p><p>The NHL Network is carrying 40 games this season, including three involving the Buffalo Sabres. Two of the three games are also on Versus and the third is on local rights-holder MSG. The NHL Network feed will be blacked out here for those games. </p><p>It may cost subscribers more money to get the channel here. If subscribers already get T-W's sports and movie package for $5 monthly, they will continue to pay that rate, Wolfgang said.</p><p>However, T-W is creating separate sports and movie tiers, with each costing $4 monthly, Wolfgang said. New subscribers to each tier can choose to pay $4 for one tier or $8 for both, Wolfgang said.</p></blockquote><p></p><br />It only made sense to add the channel in the NHL's most successful American TV market.gallagherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07558218349655810143noreply@blogger.com53tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6248605778545454097.post-58312882555606852172007-10-05T11:55:00.000-05:002007-10-05T12:07:14.104-05:00Time Warner to Carry NHL NetworkTime Warner Cable has purchased the rights to broadcast the NHL Network, which includes 50 NHL games carried in HD. The TW employee I spoke to said it would be added to the digital sports tier within the next week. It's uncertain whether the HD games will be picked up in Buffalo, so <a href="http://www.blogger.com/buf.customer.contactus@twcable.com">contacting</a> Buffalo Time Warner can only help. A TW <a href="http://www.tvpredictions.com/twnhl100507.htm">spokesman</a> on the issue:<br /><span class="copy"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-weight: 400;"></span></span></span><blockquote style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:times new roman;"><span class="copy" style="font-size:100%;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Mark Harrad, a Time Warner Cable spokesman, told TVPredictions.com last night that it's up to each local Time Warner operator to determine whether to air the NHL Network's high-def broadcasts.<br /> <br /> </span></span></span><span style="font-weight: 400;font-size:100%;" ><span class="008394221-04102007"><span style="">"We have the rights to offer their HD content. It will depend on the individual divisions, if they want to devote the bandwidth to carry these games," Harrad said.</span></span></span></blockquote><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="008394221-04102007"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><br /></span></span></span>Additionally, MSG will be showing Sabres home games in HD on channel 700 in the Buffalo area.<br /><br />It's almost as if Time Warner is pretending they care...gallagherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07558218349655810143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6248605778545454097.post-38276318451807395072007-09-20T12:05:00.000-05:002007-09-20T12:18:11.407-05:00MSNBC On Sabres TV RevenueThere's been a lot of speculation about exactly how much money the Sabres deal with MSG brings in the team. MSNBC, in an <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20826176/">article</a> about the franchise's turnaround off the ice, provided a bit of insight, but along the lines of what we already knew:<br /><br /><blockquote>Golisano & Co. have signed a local TV deal with MSG Network through the 2016-2017 season believed to be in the high seven figures annually, in which the Sabres bring in money by selling advertising and where they control production (whose costs they bear). Under previous owner John Rigas, founder of cable firm Adelphia Communications, the team’s broadcast territory through Empire Sports Network barely made a dent in the Empire State. Today, their games can be seen as far away as Albany, helping to mint new fans.</blockquote><br />Obviously, with the Sabres generating income by selling advertising, the exact figure won't come out barring a major leak from someone in the know. That said, Larry Quinn admitted that the blunder causing MSG's ratings numbers to be underreported cost the team a significant amount of advertising revenue last year. It's unknown exactly how widespread the underreporting was, but it's safe to say the ratings were artificially low by 30-50%. This season will be the first time advertisers are paying for the full rating prowess that the Sabres bring. They're the top rated cable show in Buffalo reaching prime demographics.<br /><br />Since we <a href="http://sabresratings.blogspot.com/2007/02/past-season-averages.html">know</a> that Empire's rights fee was $9.5 million annually, I'd be surprised if the Sabres don't pull in well over $10 million from their local TV contract alone for the 2007-2008 season.gallagherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07558218349655810143noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6248605778545454097.post-6639386328258643872007-09-18T17:06:00.000-05:002007-09-18T18:15:36.611-05:00The Winter Classic - 42,000 Tickets Sold in 25 MinutesEveryone seems to be outraged about the ticket situation for the New Year's Day AMP Energy NHL Winter Classic, which we now know will be the highest attended game in NHL history. The "average Joe" segment is outraged that so few tickets were available to die hard fans, Bills season ticket holders are outraged that they had no priority rights to purchase ducats, Pittsburgh fans are outraged that Buffalo fans hacked their highly encrypted password 'Crosby' and bought up their block, Sabres season ticket holders are outraged that there's only 1 ticket on average set aside for them as "extras", and outrage has been set aside for mass confusion from everyone in regards to the bizarre decision to give Toronto Blue Jays season ticket holders preference.<br /><br />The bottom line, which seems to be being missed by nearly everyone, is that Buffalo sold all 42,000 available tickets in 25 minutes. That figure doesn't even include the 30,000 tickets reserved for Sabres season ticket holders. This is incredible display by the most rabid NHL fan base in the United States. For a league that takes more than it's fair share of flak, this is a fantastic way to show the NHL is not nearly as dead as advertised. Given the right market, the right amount of exposure, and competent marketing, the NHL is capable of hosting a successful event on a very busy sports day (traditionally dominated by college football) because they have the most passionate group of fans in professional sports.<br /><br />The national ratings will be poor. I'd be highly surprised if it even cracks a 2.0. Don't be fooled by the ratings though, this level of interest is a great sign for hockey.<br /><br />The NHL <a href="http://penguins.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=337562">released</a> the following statement:<br /><blockquote>Demonstrating once again that our fans are the most passionate in sports, more than 42,000 tickets to the AMP Energy NHL Winter Classic were sold in the first 30 minutes of availability this morning. Due to the overwhelming demand, plus our commitment to Sabres and Penguins season ticket holders, the Buffalo Bills and sponsors of the event, we are currently sold out. If additional tickets become available, we'll release the information at a later date.</blockquote>gallagherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07558218349655810143noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6248605778545454097.post-46354706460319436352007-09-14T00:05:00.000-05:002007-09-14T00:07:28.462-05:00Sabres Home Games To Be in HDTim Graham <a href="http://buffalonews.typepad.com/sabres/2007/09/sabres-home-tel.html">reports</a> that Sabres home games on MSG will be broadcast in high definition.<br /><br /><blockquote>So I had the chance to ask around at the arena today, and learned the Sabres will televise their home games only in HD. Although road games will remain in standard definition for now, more and more away dates will be upgraded in future seasons.</blockquote><br />Now we wait on Time Warner.gallagherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07558218349655810143noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6248605778545454097.post-48705370415882760392007-08-07T22:37:00.000-05:002007-08-07T22:46:06.275-05:00Sabres Appear Seven Times on VersusVersus released its schedule for the upcoming NHL season and there is a noticeable Buffalo presence. Here are the games:<br /><br />Oct. 15 – 7:00 Toronto vs. Buffalo<br /><br />Nov. 26 – 7:00 Buffalo vs. Washington<br /><br />Dec. 10 – 7:00 Boston vs. Buffalo<br /><br />Jan. 29 – 7:30 Buffalo vs. Tampa Bay<br /><br />Feb. 25 – 7:00 Philadelphia vs. Buffalo<br /><br />Mar. 4 – 7:00 Buffalo vs. Philadelphia<br /><br />Mar. 10 – 7:00 NY Rangers vs. Buffalo<br /><br />Toronto is an interesting choice and should garner a huge rating locally. Fairly surprising that a Penguins/Sabres tilt isn't on tap.gallagherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07558218349655810143noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6248605778545454097.post-73783226193069055682007-07-11T19:08:00.000-05:002007-07-11T19:16:35.943-05:00Sabres To Host Outdoor GameIt has been widely speculated that the Sabres will host the "Ice Bowl" on New Year's Day at Ralph Wilson Stadium which will be televised on NBC. Multiple sources including the local NBC affiliate, WGR550, and the Buffalo News have indicated that the game will be a go so long as a few logistical issues get worked out in the near future. NBC released its "flex schedule" for the upcoming season this afternoon which allows it to choose between different games depending on how the particular match up looks at the time. The choices on January 1st? Pittsburgh @ Buffalo or the Penguins visiting the Sabres. It's the only day on the schedule without another option, so it's looking like the outdoor game is a done deal.<br /><br />It will be interesting to see the rating as half the city will be in attendance. That said, it will be a major event for Buffalo and will likely still pull a big number.gallagherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07558218349655810143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6248605778545454097.post-45049597027129302402007-06-09T11:14:00.000-05:002007-06-09T11:36:40.314-05:00Cup Clincher Pulls Big RatingThe Ducks Stanley Cup clinching victory over the Ottawa Senators drew a big rating in Buffalo. From <a href="http://www.buffalonews.com/entertainment/story/94789.html">Alan Pergament:</a><br /><br /><blockquote>Buffalo might be the only market in America that gets higher ratings for the Stanley Cup finals than the NBA Finals on ABC despite the hype brought about by James’ legendary performance. The ratings in Buffalo for the Stanley Cup finals were five to 10 times the national ratings. Anaheim’s seriesclinching victory had an 11.7 rating here, about five times the national overnight rating.</blockquote><br />The game drew a 2.5 rating nationally. The LA market peaked at an impressive (relatively) 10.4 figure. The overall average was a 6.0 (12 share) which, after taking the West Coast time zone issues into account, isn't that bad. Buffalo was in all likelihood the highest rated American market for all 5 games.gallagherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07558218349655810143noreply@blogger.com0