Business of Sports · NHL · RATINGS
NHL opening TV audiences split as TNT rises and ESPN slips
ESPN's Sept. 29 tripleheader averaged 747,000 viewers, while TNT's Sept. 30 doubleheader averaged 587,000.
TNT's NHL season-opening doubleheader averaged 587,000 viewers on Sept. 30, up 58% from last year's opener, while ESPN's Sept. 29 tripleheader averaged 747,000, down 3%, Sports Media Watch reported.
Rangers–Bruins led ESPN's slate with 878,000 viewers. Panthers–Hurricanes averaged 859,000, and Blackhawks–Golden Knights drew 473,000.
ESPN separately announced that Panthers–Hurricanes increased 16% from the corresponding opening game last year. That game's gain and the tripleheader's overall decline refer to different comparisons.
On TNT, Penguins–Flyers averaged 745,000 viewers, up 44% from Bruins–Capitals in the same opening slot last year. Kings–Avalanche followed with 420,000, up 75% from the comparable game.
The averages describe the opening national television packages rather than a league-wide audience for every game that week. ESPN's three-game schedule and TNT's two-game schedule also had different lengths and opponents.
Both nights overlapped MLB and WNBA playoff broadcasts. These figures cover the Sept. 29–30 national telecasts and were first reported in early October.
NHL opening national broadcasts
Sept. 29–30, 2026 · five games
| Rank | Event / program | Avg. viewers | Aired / period | Network / platform | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rangers–Bruins | 878,000 | Sept. 29 | ESPN | SMW |
| 2 | Panthers–Hurricanes | 859,000 | Sept. 29 | ESPN | ESPN |
| 3 | Penguins–Flyers | 745,000 | Sept. 30 | TNT | SMW |
| 4 | Blackhawks–Golden Knights | 473,000 | Sept. 29 | ESPN | SMW |
| 5 | Kings–Avalanche | 420,000 | Sept. 30 | TNT | SMW |
