Which Is REALLY bigger In America...The NHL or the NBA?

[The Seeker]

I always hear about the NHL's attendance woes and failure to sway the southern states to it's product but as I look around the internet and talk to people the NBA is pretty darn ignored as well. Also I see that the a lot of NHL teams continually sell out their arenas while I saw the Detroit Pistons arena had a lot of empty seats last time I watched them play so this attendance/TV ratings thing has be confused as to which sport is more popular. I had a devil of a time finding some Knicks merchandise in fact I had to go on ebay and this is the Knicks and I live in Yonkers!!! Which of the the 2 sports is in worse shape in terms of attendance, ratings and plans to improve on these for the future?

 

[maniactickler]

I dont think either are that huge, but basketball is far more popular.

 

[The Seeker]

I dont think either are that huge, but basketball is far more popular.

I know in terms of TV ratings that's true. I mean the NHL has to hold their all star game on the hockey network which is terrible for them but what about arena attendance?

 

[Tickle Fiend]

The NBA does really well with selling merchandise. No question though that the NBA is bigger than the NHL. The NHL can't even get a deal on one of the good networks.

 

[Krokus]

Is it even a question? The NBA is every bit as popular as MLB.

 

[Ray<3tiklishft]

Also I see that the a lot of NHL teams continually sell out their arenas while I saw the Detroit Pistons arena had a lot of empty seats last time I watched them play

Michigan's bad economy is a major factor in low attendance at sporting events. The Pistons are offering packages for $99, 4 seats, 4 hot dogs, 4 cokes. The Red Wings have a problem filling the Joe....er, Joe Louis Arena, and they have the best team in the NHL.

But to answer the original question, The NHL actually had better TV ratings during the 90's than the NBA. But 'The Coolest Game On Ice' got screwed by that Marty Feldman look-a-like commissioner and his lock-out of the players. ESPN dropped the NHL as a result and now the league is virtually non-existent to most of the USA. And ESPN picked up the NBA so now hoopsters are seen all over network and cable TV.

But hockey is still a better sport IMHO.

 

[The Seeker]

Is it even a question? The NBA is every bit as popular as MLB.

Are you sure about that? I mean doesn't baseball get better ratings than the NBA plus the merchandise of the Yankees, Dodgers and Red Sox seems to be worn by everyone! I don't see that much NBA merchandise or at least not as much compared to baseball.

 

[ticklingfeet4fu]

Is it even a question? The NBA is every bit as popular as MLB.

Let me know when basketball becomes a $6,000,000,000 industry then you can compare the NBA to MLB.

I think it is a matter of where you live. New York metropolitian area for example has hockey attendance going up. Some of that is attributed to go hockey and the Devils new arena. In the meantime, the Knicks sell the tickets out but the fans are not coming out.

Hockey will always be an arena sport. Though I have the hockey, most hockey fans would rather see the game at the arena. I think overall, hockey outdraws the basketball in attendance but the NBA is more marketable on TV.

That being said, I do believe that hockey is a more popular sport in certain areas while the NBA is more popular in other areas.

 

[theticklingmaster]

The NBA is more popular than the NHL. I can't name more than 6 teams in the NHL, & half are metropolitan teams (Devils, Rangers, & Islanders). The NBA has better business on TV & Marketing fronts. I am still scratching my head as to how hockey holds its induction ceremony in the middle of their regular season.

 

[The Seeker]

In the meantime, the Knicks sell the tickets out but the fans are not coming out.

There's a reason for that! A certain former point guard for the Detroit Pistons who is a Hall of Fame player but Hall of Shame coach/GM!! I believe his name starts with an I!! Oh man the contracts we got here that the Knicks are stuck with!! We can't even BEGIN to rebuild till like 2010!!!

 

[resptimes]

NBA...not even a question..

 

[CurtWild]

The NBA does really well with selling merchandise. No question though that the NBA is bigger than the NHL. The NHL can't even get a deal on one of the good networks.

if i could,i would slap the shit out of bettman for fucking up with espn.....

 

[The Seeker]

Didn't the NHL lose all their TV deals after the lockout? That's really when the bottom fell out for the NHL!

 

[poopies]

The NHL did not lose their TV deals. ESPN offered them a contract, but that oaf of a commissioner Gary Buttman decided he didn't like it, and opted to go with Vs. and NBC instead. Hockey needs to rid itself of this d-bag if it wants to regain the popularity it once had.

 

[Goodieluver]

blackhawks games are startin to sellout again

all depends on the market

I would say the wild is more popular in minnesota than the timberwolves

 

[The Seeker]

How does Major League Baseball do in TV ratings department vs. the NBA? I mean which is bigger in terms of people sitting at home with the TV on? Someone told me that baseball is not that big in places aside from the Northeast really, is that true?