The NHL Finals on TNT: Did Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce Increase Hockey Game Viewership?

I'm not sure about you, but when the Nhl Stanley Cup Finals aired on Tnt recently, I heard a lot about Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce. Fans who expected to see a repeat of their attendance in Game 4 for Tuesday night's Game 6 were likely disappointed. On The Pat McAfee Show, Jackie Redmond, a reporter for NHL on TNT, stated that a "good source" informed her that Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce would attend Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final. This was for the Edmonton Oilers' game against the Florida Panthers at Sunrise, Florida.

As it turned out, Redmond and her informant might have had "bad blood." The on-air talent had to retract her previous report. It appears that Redmond's source provided incorrect information concerning Swift and Kelce's plans for that Tuesday night. My question, and I believe I speak for many hockey and sports enthusiasts in general, is: who really cares? I really don't get the infatuation. I find it more distracting than anything else.

Kelce is known to be a hockey aficionado. He recently had Panthers standout winger Matthew Tkachuk on his show. Of course, with Swift as his girlfriend, some believed she would accompany him. But I can assure you that nobody watching this game as a fan of either side or the sport of hockey in general is unconcerned about a singer and her football star boyfriend being in the same venue as Lord Stanley. I attended a Game 4 watch party in Fort Lauderdale. I can confirm that as the power couple appeared on the screen, everyone watching let out a groan. I'm sure fans are bored of seeing these two on every sports show. It frequently feels like it's just for attention.

Jackie Redmond defended the decision to show celebrities at hockey games.

The reporter stated that showing the stars is a good way to get more eyes on the sport.

Jackie Redmond later defended Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's screen time on TNT during Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final. In the first period of Game 4, Redmond returned viewers from a commercial break with a segment. This part featured Swift and Kelce in the arena. It also featured an old photo of Swift and Kenny Albert, the game's play-by-play announcer. This frustrated hockey fans who were uninterested in Swift or Kelce. Dan Patrick believes irritated fans should blame the networks, not Swift or Kelce.

But Redmond didn't think blaming was necessary. Before Game 5, Redmond posted on X to defend Swift's airtime. She contrasted the unfavorable reactions she receives to those of other celebrities at athletic events. She said, "It has been 48 hours. Can we please get over the fact that the world's top pop artist attended a hockey game and - gasp! - we showed her? God forbid a celebrity bring attention to a sport that people constantly claim needs more exposure! "I hope you had the same energy for Chalamet at Knicks games."

This is a typical argument. I understand that sports leagues want more people to watch. But I believe there is a limit. When the focus swings away from the actual game and toward who is sitting in the stands, it might irritate the core supporters. Those fans are the ones who tune in every week. They care about the sport, not the celebrities that watch it. Finding the correct balance is difficult, and I believe that these broadcasts occasionally fall short. The internet comments frequently indicate that fans desire less of the celebrity circus and more of the actual game. And I agree with the comments. I watch hockey, not a celebrity gossip show.

The numbers are in: how did the NHL Finals on TNT actually perform in terms of viewership?

A Look at the Ratings for the Stanley Cup Final and What They Mean for Cable Broadcasts

Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final showed a little gain in viewership compared to the previous time it aired exclusively on cable. Thursday's NHL Stanley Cup Final Game 4 between the Oilers and Panthers drew a 1.3 rating and 2.61 million viewers on TNT and truTV. This was a series high for the year. However, it was down slightly in ratings and 15% in viewers compared to the same matchup previous year. That game was broadcast on ABC and drew 3.09 million viewers. It was somewhat higher than the previous Cup Final Game 4 on TNT Sports, which drew 2.56 million viewers two years ago when the Golden Knights faced the Panthers. Keep in mind that both of these games took place on Saturday nights.

The Oilers' overtime triumph was the second game in the series to draw more views than the 2023 Cup Final matchup on TNT Sports. Game 2 also experienced an uptick. However, viewership remained low when compared to historical figures. The Game 4 audience was marginally larger than 2023 and the COVID "bubble" of 2020. That year, Lightning-Stars drew 2.26 million viewers. This is one of the smallest Game 4 viewership since 2012, when Devils-Kings drew 2.07 million people. These are the only Game 4s with a smaller crowd since 1994. Game 4 attracted the fifth-largest NHL audience ever seen on TNT Sports. It trailed three games from the 2023 Cup Final and Panthers-Bruins Game 7 in the first round of that year's playoffs, which received 3.10 million viewers.

The Panthers-Oilers rematch is only the second Cup Final to be broadcast solely on cable in the past 31 years. Under the current broadcast rights agreement, which began in 2021 and runs until 2028, TNT Sports receives a full Cup Final every other year. This includes one more in 2027. The other shows are exclusively available on ABC, a broadcast network. So far, none of TNT Sports' nine Cup Final games have attracted three million viewers. None of ABC's 13 games have dipped below the three million threshold. While this disparity between broadcast and cable is unsurprising, it is worth noting that half of the last 18 Cup Final games on NBCSN, an older cable channel, had more than three million viewers. Of course, NBCSN had more compelling shows and a wider cable reach at the time. This comparison demonstrates that, while cable versus broadcast matters, the teams involved and the excitement of the series also have a significant role.

Why Some NHL Fans Remain Concerned About The Show's Mainstream Appeal

Looking at the matchup's impact and the need for more "hockey markets" in the finals.

Many people believe that the low ratings for this year's Stanley Cup Finals are due to the fact that the series is exclusively broadcast on cable. While that is a component, I feel the teams playing are the more important cause. A rematch between a Canadian team and a southern market team was unlikely to draw large crowds, even if it aired on ABC. Yes, the figures improved last year, but not significantly. Given that none of the six "hockey markets"—the Rangers, Bruins, Red Wings, Blackhawks, Flyers, and Penguins—made the playoffs, US networks were unlikely to have any compelling matches.

According to some observers, when NBCSN aired the finals for the first two games in past years, their viewership was higher. This was because, year after year, at least one of the six major hockey markets advanced to the finals. Since the start of the new media rights contract, none of the six teams have advanced to the finals. The US media partners desperately need some of the original six clubs to resume competing for the Cup. They need some luck, just like NBC did. The Florida Panthers have developed into a strong squad. Their thrilling Game 7 victory against the Bruins was a watershed event for them. However, that Bruins squad also set records. That team's "End of the Road" was gaining traction outside of hockey circles, and being in a "Original Six" city helped tremendously. Maybe if the league had a magic wand, they would have wished for those Bruins to stay in contention longer, even if it meant delaying the Panthers' rise for another season. It demonstrates how important the teams playing are in terms of ratings.