People Are Watching

As a women's hockey broadcaster, I've come to terms with the challenges faced by the women's game when it comes to being on network television and across radio airwaves. Every time I hear someone making the argument that no one would watch women on TV or turn to a different radio station if the games were on the radio, I shake my head because I know this simply isn't true. The hardest part, at times, is simply finding the games on TV or radio, and that challenge needs to be overcome because women's hockey isn't a niche sport like some make it out to be. If the NHL is the gold standard for hockey TV ratings, we're going to have a quick chat about those numbers.

The Beijing Olympics, overall, weren't the ratings darling that a number of networks had hoped, but there were a few bright spots among the late-night broadcasts. One of those highlights was the US-Canada gold-medal game that was shown on CBC and NBC. According to CBC's numbers, the game "drew a peak TV audience of 2.7 million, making it the most-watched event of the Beijing Olympics, despite an 11 p.m. ET start time" while NBC reported that it saw "2.89 million viewers on NBCSN, and 3.7 million across all platforms". If it's not clear, people were tuning into a largely-ignored Olympics to watch women's hockey.

A lot of that has to due with the highly-publicized rivalry these two nations and these two teams have, but the key is the amount of publicity that this rivalry gets. People know the names of the players who are the stars of the team, and those are the players who people want to see. The likes of Poulin, Jenner, Nurse, and Spooner are known for their scoring and play while players like Knight, Duggan, Coyne-Schofield, and Kessel are the names that resonate for the Americans. Knowing who they are and their stories leading into the gold-medal game make it easier to tune in because there's a connection to these players.

It should be noted, though, that the gold-medal game drew more viewers on NBC than any NHL game this season, making it the second-most watched hockey game in the US since 2019. The only game to draw more was Game 5 of the Canadiens-Lightning Stanley Cup Final, and that game only had 200,000 more viewers. For all the Connor McDavid games, all the Sidney Crosby games, and all the Nathan McKinnon games that people get psyched for, none of them engaged fans as much as the Canadian and American women did.

I can already hear people saying, "But Teebz, this was Canada and the US, not Colorado versus Arizona!" and that's completely fair. I get that the bigger rivalries will draw more fans simply because it appeals to more people through the competitive nature of the game. The same women's players, though, would be playing against each other more often if there was a professional league for them, and you'd be able to see these players more often with a TV option for them. If you could watch these players play against each other more often, would you tune in less? That seems unlikely, so I'm willing to say that the numbers won't be as high as a quadrennial battle of the best, but the numbers should remain strong.

Maybe you're a hometown supporter where you cheer for the local team only. A number of fans certainly tune in religiously to their local team's broadcasts because it's easy to support the local team, but that's the beauty of an expanded, financially-thriving NHL who has had a hundred years to get to that point. In its infancy, though, there weren't many local fans in places like Los Angeles, Tampa, Carolina, or Nashville when it came to supporting their NHL teams, so there can't be a false equivalency made between where the NHL currently is and where women's hockey currently stands. It needs time and support to grow, so a professional women's hockey league to have a chance needs fans who are willing to support the game outside their city's, province's, and state's borders.

Based on the numbers coming out of the Olympics, now seems to be the best time to really ramp up the chatter about a professional women's hockey league. We know there are people watching, we know people are seeking to watch the game, and it would make sense for the networks to give women's hockey a serious look when it comes to the ratings it generates. This isn't just one fan's view; rather, it seems to be what the world is saying when it comes to watching hihg-level women's hocey at 11pm ET on a weeknight.

The PWHPA has an event this weekend in Ontario. There are Canada West playoffs happening in western Canada. The OUA, RSEQ, and AUS are finishing up their regular seasons. The NCAA is finishing up their season with regional playoffs as they prepare for another National Championship bracket. The PHF is working through their regular season. The SDHL has a couple of weeks left in their season before they begin the playoffs. Do you know what the common thread is among all of these conferences and leagues?

It's you. You should be watching. You should be attending. You should be keeping an eye on who is playing for Canada and the US and who may be on the radar. You should talking about the players you see in the same breath as McDavid, Crosby, and MacKinnon. These are the ladies that are establishing a path to professional hockey for women across the planet, and they need your support to continue to follow their dreams.

People are watching. It's undeniable. Are you one of them? Because if you're not, you're missing out on some incredible hockey.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!