NHL EXTENDS BUSINESS MOMENTUM THROUGH FIRST 400 GAMES OF THE 2009-10 REGULAR SEASON
NEW YORK (December 4, 2009) – After a record-setting season in 2008-09 and an impressive start to 2009-10, the National Hockey League’s strong business performance continues. With the League playing its 400th game of the 2009-10 regular season last night, all national television rightsholders are reporting increases. Additionally, NHL.com is setting new records in multiple areas. Both the NHL Store Powered by Reebok and Shop.NHL.com posted record numbers during the first four days of the holiday shopping season and interest in the 2010 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic® is soaring.
Among the highlights:
· Through November, NHL® teams played to 91.3% capacity, the second-highest percentage capacity through the comparable number of games in the last four seasons.
· Through November, 17 teams played to more than 95% capacity at home.
· Teams with year-to-year gains in attendance through November include the Boston Bruins, Columbus Blue Jackets, Florida Panthers, Los Angeles Kings, New Jersey Devils, St. Louis Blues and Washington Capitals.
· Through Nov. 30, VERSUS’ average national household coverage rating for NHL games is up 33% percent from the same time period last year.
· In Canada, all NHL national and local rightsholders continue to report viewership increases.
· Through Nov. 29, local television ratings were up or even for 75% of the U.S.-based NHL teams (18 of 24).
· Unique Visitors to NHL.com for the 2009-10 NHL regular season through November are up 31% compared to the same time frame for the 2008-09 regular season.
· Video consumption on NHL.com continues to show dramatic increases. Video starts for NHL.com rose 84% in November 2009 compared to November 2008.
· NHL.com continues to grow in popularity globally. Countries such as Slovakia (72%) and Russia (41%) saw Unique Visitors grow in November compared to November 2008. Almost 45% of all video starts in November came from outside North America.
· Subscriptions to NHL GameCenter LIVE™ are up 50% this season compared to the same the same point last season.
· The NHL’s audience on Twitter, Facebook and other social media platforms has grown 88% since the beginning of the season.
· Cyber Monday – Nov. 30 – was the highest grossing sales day ever for Shop.NHL.com with a remarkable 108% sales increase from 2008.
· For the full month of November, sales at the NHL Powered by Reebok Store in New York City were up 32% compared to the same month last year. Overall store sales this year (Jan. – Nov. 2009) have increased 12% from the same time frame in 2008.
· The store recorded its largest Black Friday sales figures in its three-year history with a 28% increase in sales compared to 2008.
· 2010 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic merchandise is setting new sales records. The special jerseys created for the Boston Bruins® and Philadelphia Flyers® were the top-selling NHL Winter Classic items over the holiday weekend both at the NHL Powered by Reebok Store and online.
· Registrations on NHL.com for an opportunity to purchase tickets to the 2010 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic surpassed 307,000. That eclipsed the number of registrations for last season’s game by more than 25%.
· If each person who registered was given the right to purchase 2 tickets, the NHL could host 15 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic games in Fenway Park and still not meet the ticket demand.
· General seating and standing room only tickets are already sold out for the Jan. 8 college hockey doubleheader to be played at Fenway Park.
· The recently-announced celebrity/legends charity hockey game on Jan. 2 at Fenway Park has already sold over 25,000 tickets.
#### (12/4/2009)
About The NHL
The National Hockey League, founded in 1917, is the second-oldest of the four major professional team sports leagues in North America. Today, the NHL consists of 30 Member Clubs, each reflecting the League’s international makeup, with players from more than 20 countries represented on team rosters. According to a Simmons Market Research study, NHL fans are younger, more
educated, more affluent, and access content through digital means more than any other sport. The NHL entertains more than 100 million fans each season in-arena and through its partners in national television (VERSUS, NBC, TSN, CBC, RDS, RIS, ESPN America, ASN and NHL NetworkTM) and radio (NHL RadioTM, Sirius XM Radio and XM Canada). Through the NHL Foundation, the League’s charitable arm, the NHL raises money and awareness for Hockey Fights CancerTM and NHL Youth Development, and supports the charitable efforts of NHL players. For more information on the NHL, log on to NHL.com.
NHL, the NHL Shield and NHL Winter Classic word mark are registered trademarks and NHL GameCenter LIVE and the NHL Winter Classic logo are trademarks of the National Hockey League. NHL and NHL team marks are the property of the NHL and its teams. All Rights Reserved.
Recent Comments