The United States’ showdown with Canada on Saturday in the 4 Nations Face-Off drew an astonishing 10.1 million viewers in the US and Canada, the NHL announced on Tuesday.
The massive viewership was a combined number that included ratings from Sportsnet, CITY, SN+, TVA Sports and ABC.
According to an NHL release, Saturday’s rivalry showdown between the North American neighbors was a 203 percent increase from viewership numbers seen during the 2016 World Cup of Hockey when the US and Canada played.
Nielsen fast-nationals had already shown that the game had been a massive success for the NHL in the United States with the metrics showing an average of 4.4 million viewers and a peak of 5.2 million.
According to Sports Media Watch, the 4 Nations Face-Off drew the largest viewership for a non-Stanley Cup Final game since NBC saw an average of 4.7 million viewers for a Blue Jackets-Bruins playoff game in 2019 and the largest non-playoff audience since the 2011 Winter Classic between the Capitals and Penguins.
The exciting matchup saw the United States defeat Canada in a game that had three fights in the opening nine seconds.
The impact of the game was praised across the board, including by Canadian head coach Jon Cooper.
“The game is in a better place because last night’s game existed,” he said Sunday.
The exciting matchup will take place again on Thursday when the rival hockey nations face off in the championship game of the tournament, which has replaced the NHL All-Star Game this year.
“The only thing that went through my mind is, that first game was such a great hockey game,” Team USA head coach Mike Sullivan said. “I think it’s great for hockey that there’s an opportunity for these two teams to meet again. Both teams have star power all around the lineup. It was a very competitive hockey game, the first game. I would anticipate the next one will be every bit as competitive, if not more.”
The success of the 4 Nations Face-Off has stood in stark contrast to the mixed reviews of the NBA All-Star Game, which underwent a format change in order to increase competitiveness and fan interest.
