The New York Rangers in a slump? Yep, and they’re not alone in the dip zone. The Chicago Blackhawks are riding the same wobbly wave. Flashback to March—Hawks fans were buzzing (and slightly stressing) when Blackhawks on CHSN dropped a gem on X: “Just a couple first overall draft picks going head-to-head tonight.” The matchup? Connor Bedard of the Hawks vs. Macklin Celebrini of the Sharks. Two young guns, both first-overall picks, both dripping in potential, lighting up the ice with the weight of their franchises on their shoulders. But the main issue? It ain’t about skill—it’s the screen time, or lack of it.
See, ever since CHSN replaced NBC Sports Chicago, watching the Hawks has been a bit of a scavenger hunt. Fans have been left scrambling, especially those with Comcast/Xfinity, since CHSN just isn’t showing up where it should. Even with new deals through DirecTV and FuboTV, it’s still a rocky ride. And now, with fresh numbers revealing a shocking dip in New York Rangers’ viewership, it’s clear—this isn’t just a Chicago thing.
So, uh… things aren’t exactly looking pretty on the viewership scoreboard. On April 21, the folks over at Sports Business Journal hopped on X and dropped a little reality check—and yeah, it hit kinda hard. Picture this: two of the NHL’s biggest market squads taking a nosedive when it comes to local eyes on the screen. And they didn’t sugarcoat it either.
They posted, “Two of the three biggest markets in the country saw the steepest declines in NHL local audience. The Blackhawks were down 78% this season on the team’s new RSN while Rangers ratings were down 49% on MSG Networks.” Like… ouch, that’s a spicy stat sandwich.
Two of the three biggest markets in the country saw the steepest declines in NHL local audience
The Blackhawks were down 78% this season on the team’s new RSN while Rangers ratings were down 49% on MSG Networks.https://t.co/aJMCq8A8St pic.twitter.com/BU8nr7sBsk
— Sports Business Journal (@SBJ) April 21, 2025
This story is developing…
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