NHL attendance, ratings have ‘never been stronger,’ says Commissioner Gary Bettman [Video]

While teams skate toward the Stanley Cup, the National Hockey League (NHL) netted a new ratings record for the 2023–24 regular season.

Appearing Thursday on “The Claman Countdown,” the league’s commissioner touted the game’s growth and continued success. 

“Hockey as a game is in a great place,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said on “The Claman Countdown.” “The business has never been stronger from an attendance, from a ratings standpoint, and in terms of, I think we have over 70 national partners, it’s a good time to be associated with the game.”

STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS: WHICH FOUR NHL TEAMS HAVE THE BEST CHANCE TO WIN IT ALL?

The NHL saw an eight-year high for regular season ratings. Across platforms like ABC, TNT and ESPN, viewers per game jumped 8% year over year to an average of 504,000, host Liz Claman reported, citing Nielsen data.

Bettman attributed the trend to several developments in the sport.

“One, over the last three years, our ratings have increased …