“Play the game in interesting places instead of a stadium”: Hockey fans react as NHL Winter Classic viewership hits all-time low

The NHL Winter Classic hit an all-time low in viewership, reportedly drawing just 920,000 viewers for the St. Louis Blues versus Chicago Blackhawks game on New Year’s Eve. This marks the first time viewership for the annual outdoor game has dipped below one million across TNT and TruTV.

In response, hockey fans took to social media to voice their opinions and offer suggestions for improving the event and its viewership.

One fan tweeted:

"Play the game in interesting places instead of a stadium. Like, On the Mall in Washington, make it a week long Christmas village, game on NY Day, only one outdoor game/year. The actual attendance doesn’t have to be 100K, it doesn’t have to be Rose Bowl super size."

Another fan wrote,

"Ditch the stadium series, ONLY do the classic. Host it on New Years day when NO ONE ELSE IS PLAYING, expand to new markets, not just the same 7 teams over and over"

Here are some more reactions from fans:

"New teams please. Did anyone tell the NHL Chicago sucks now?" one fan wrote.

"Maybe play it on New Year's day instead of 5pm on NYE when folks are either still working or getting ready for parties," another fan wrote.

"2 a year max and have it stand alone - no other games on at the same time," a fan commented.

"Stop having bad teams, make it the only hockey game on that day or at least the only game on at that time. I really don’t think it’s hard to make it a fun game just stop having Chicago be the team," another fan wrote.

The NHL Winter Classic game between the Blackhawks and Blues remains the most-watched regular season game, surpassing the Boston Bruins versus Florida Panthers' banner-raising night on ESPN (790k).

The game's one-sided nature with the Blues dominating in a 6-2 victory may have also impacted viewer retention.

Factors contributed to low viewership of NHL Winter Classic

The NHL Winter Classic between the St. Louis Blues and Chicago Blackhawks saw disappointing viewership numbers, marking a 16% drop from the previous year's matchup and a 48% decline compared to two years ago.

Several factors likely contributed to the low ratings, such as the game featuring two small-market teams arguably lacking widespread appeal.

The NHL also scheduled it on New Year's Eve instead of the traditional New Year's Day in order to avoid competing with College Football Playoff games, but that strategy backfired in Chicago where the game went head-to-head with the University of Illinois bowl game.

Additionally, this was the second straight year the NHL Winter Classic aired on cable network TNT after previously being broadcast on NBC. The cable move may have further reduced casual viewer interest.

While the NHL showcases its marquee outdoor game as a centerpiece event, lackluster matchups and scheduling conflicts dampened audience enthusiasm this time around.