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Local Winter Classic Ratings Were Very Strong: Main Event Crushed New York, Alumni Game Beat Every Regular Season Flyers Game
By Kyle Scott
Published:
Well, the Winter Classic may have been a moderate disappointment nationally, drawing its lowest rating ever, but it did just fine in Philadelphia.
John Ourand of the Sports Business Journal reports that the game received an 11.9 overnight rating in Philly. To put that in perspective, the Phillies averaged a 9.1 local rating (276,000 households) this season, according to The Journal.
That part sounds good for hockey… but not this next part:
The Eagles generally hover in the mid-twenties, and Game 2 of the Phillies-Cardinals series this fall received a 21.9 rating.
Still, the 11.9 rating in Philadelphia is tremendous for hockey, and it more than doubled the 4.3 rating the Winter Classic got in New York, which is more of a melting pot of humanity…. and filled with not that great hockey fans.
More sweet goodness– According to a Comcast SportsNet press release, the Flyers-Rangers Alumni Game, at 3 p.m. on New Year’s Eve, received a 6.2 local rating (186,000 households) on CSN. That comes in a full point higher than the 5.1 rating (155,000 households) the Flyers got for their home opener in October, which was their highest rated regular season game in the network’s history.
So, yeah, more people watched the Alumni Game on CSN than any Flyers regular season game… ever.
Kyle Scott is the founder and editor of CrossingBroad.com. He has written for CBS Philly and Philly Voice, and been a panelist or contributor on NBC Sports Philly, FOX 29 and SNY TV, as well as a recurring guest on 97.5 The Fanatic, 94 WIP, 106.7 The Fan and other stations. He has more than 10 years experience running digital media properties and in online advertising and marketing.