Growing The Game - Hockey HotStove

VonZipper · 2025-06-18T07:43:11-04:00

For all the talk from Gary Bettman about "growing the game," I can't understand why none of the Stanley Cup Finals games were available on free TV in the United States (the first season it has worked out this way in quite a while). It's hard to have a presence with casual sports fans when you don't make the games available to everyone, thus the drop in viewership in the U.S. for this year's Finals.

This topic has 2 replies, 3 voices, and was last updated 5 months ago by PrinceLH.

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June 18, 2025 at 7:43 am #10111

VonZipper
Participant

For all the talk from Gary Bettman about “growing the game,” I can’t understand why none of the Stanley Cup Finals games were available on free TV in the United States (the first season it has worked out this way in quite a while).

It’s hard to have a presence with casual sports fans when you don’t make the games available to everyone, thus the drop in viewership in the U.S. for this year’s Finals.

June 20, 2025 at 7:21 am #10505

Bill Meltzer
Keymaster

Good point. If it takes an effort to find a broadcast, few casual fans bother.

June 20, 2025 at 2:18 pm #10623

PrinceLH
Participant

I agree. ABC was showing the finals a year ago. Disney has really gone down in a ball of flames throughout their cable channel subscriptions.
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