NHL Winter Classic Hits Record Low Viewership After New Year’s Eve Move

The outdoor game between the Blackhawks and Blues drew just 920,000 viewers, the lowest in the event's 17-year history, as scheduling changes and lopsided play hurt its appeal.

The 2025 Winter Classic, aired on TNT and truTV, averaged 920,000 viewers, marking the lowest ratings in the event's history.
This year’s game was moved to New Year’s Eve to avoid conflicts with the expanded College Football Playoff but still overlapped with other bowl games, including the Fiesta Bowl and Citrus Bowl.
Local viewership in Chicago dropped significantly, with a 2.5 rating compared to a 5.8 rating during the Blackhawks’ last Winter Classic appearance in 2019.
The game between the St. Louis Blues and Chicago Blackhawks, both non-playoff teams, ended in a 6-2 blowout, tying for the largest margin of victory in Winter Classic history.
Declining novelty, a shift from broadcast to cable, and competing sports events have contributed to a steady ratings decline for the Winter Classic over the past decade.

St. Louis Post-Dispatch