A major setback has just hit Gary Bettman and it's quite embarrassing

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Elias Edmonson
June 15, 2023 (6:11 PM)

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In the last few minutes, significant numbers have been revealed painting a very unflattering picture for Gary Bettman and the National Hockey League.

Even if there were absolutely no other major sports event at the same time, no NBA or anything, we just learned that the fifth game of the Stanley Cup final series, between the Vegas Golden Knights and the Florida Panthers, was the least-watched final game in history.

Wow. That's obviously a slap in the face for Commissioner Gary Bettman, who nevertheless described Las Vegas as a 'real' hockey city.

Imagine the ratings if the Montreal Canadiens were involved in the Stanley Cup final. (or another Canadian team like the Toronto Maple Leafs)

A blow that lands on Bettman and the NHL

Obviously, this is not good news for the league's contracts and finances. In fact, the numbers are downright embarrassing.

The majority of hockey fans did not watch Vegas win.

The last game of the season was the least watched since they started tracking viewer data (since at least 1980).

For the entire series, views fell by a record 43% between last year's final and this year's, dropping from an average of 4.3 million viewers to 2.6.

The series couldn't surpass the 2020 'bubble' final between Dallas and Tampa Bay, which had set a benchmark for poor stats.

With an average of 2.47 million viewers, it was not just the least-watched cup ever seen, it was also the lowest viewed game 5 in 30 years. - NHL Breakers, via Instagram

Bettman will have to act. A drop of 43% is a disaster.