Hockey is one of the most popular sports in North America. It’s always been popular in Canada but is now slowly becoming a mainstream sport in the U.S. Like many sports, the fans’ involvement and dedication can be measured by how many people are watching and how often they are tuning in. In the U.S., the National Hockey League (NHL) is a professional ice hockey league that currently has 24 teams. Each team plays 41 games during the regular season, which is then followed by an additional five games in the playoffs. In the 2016-2017 NHL season, the regular season started on Jan. 10 and ended on Mar. 30. During this time, the NHL had over 3,600 total goals scored, almost 200 goals a week on average. There were 12,096 total attendees at the NHL games during the 2016-2017 season, which amounts to a bit more than 600 attendees per game on average. These are quite impressive numbers especially considering that NHL games take place in the winter and often times are on weeknights when there aren’t many other options for people to watch.
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NHL Attendance Increasing
While attendance at the NHL decreased by three per cent in 2015-2016, it still managed to pull in more than 1.9 million fans for the 24 regular season games, and over 300,000 for the five (5) playoff games. This amounts to about 730,000 fans per season. Additionally, the NHL was the only pro sports organization to post an attendance increase in the 2015-2016 season. The NHL attendance figure for the 2015-2016 season was the highest it had been since 2007-2008, which was before the start of the Great Recession. This increase can be attributed to a number of factors, including the fact that there were more than 600 games televised this past season, which was the highest since 2007-2008. Also, the increase in the number and popularity of soccer teams and the fact that the 2016 Summer Olympics were held in Rio de Janeiro, which is a hub for Brazilian sports fans. So, in general, you can say that hockey is experiencing a bit of a rebirth – both in and out of the country – and that the fans are playing an important role in this resurgence.
More Than The NBA, MLB, And Football
Hockey is actually the second-most popular sport in the U.S. after the National Football League (NFL). People seem to love the thrill of betting on the outcome of a game, particularly football, where fans can feel more involved with the action on the field. The MLB (Major League Baseball) has also seen a rise in popularity over the past decade, which has lead to more people showing up at the stadiums and watching games on TV. The NBA (National Basketball Association) has also seen a rise in popularity, which is largely attributed to the fact that basketball is one of the most easily accessible sports, even for people who don’t usually tune in to sports. What’s more is that fans can often find games that are more affordable than those in the NHL. (Prices fluctuate based on venue and day of week but are typically around $50 – $100 for a standard ticket.)
A Sports Industry in Rebound
While the NHL saw a slight decline in revenue ($14.2 billion to $13.4 billion) between 2014 and 2015, that was followed by an uptick in 2016-2017. This is likely due to the fact that more people are showing up to games and watching more games. The NHL also saw an increase in average attendance from 14,400 in 2015-2016 to 16,900 in 2016-2017. Finally, the NHL also saw a 26% increase in digital streams, likely because people are looking for alternative ways to follow their favorite teams. (Average attendance across all NHL teams is 16,900.)
Hockey is a very popular sport in Canada, with the Toronto Maple Leafs being the most popular team. They’ve been the most popular team for years and have seen a large influx of fans at their games since J.J. Watt joined the team in 2015. Watt is a professional football player and international media personality who gained fame for his immense physical prowess and aggressive defense of the Toronto Maple Leaves.
Hockey’s Future
One of the most recognizable faces in sports, if not the world, is Wayne Gretzky. Not only is he widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, but he’s also the face of a successful line of gear and apparel designed for fans of all ages. (You can probably tell we’re hockey fans just by the fact that we mentioned him here multiple times.)
There are a number of questions you might ask yourself if you’re considering a career in sports. For instance, what jobs are available? How much does it pay? What are the requirements? How difficult is it to obtain a license or certification? Is it a competitive industry? How many jobs are there? These are all questions you might ask yourself as you consider a career in sports. If you’re interested in pursuing a career in sports, you should probably be thinking about the answers to these questions.