NBC’s 2021 NHL coverage will feature a record 16 games on broadcast TV

#Since NBC regained NHL rights in 2006, they’ve often shown #Sunday games on broadcast NBC. They started by picking up regional telecasts in 2006-07, then moved to largely showing national exclusive games beginning in 2007-08. #And that’s going to lead to an interesting twist in the 2021 season; while that season has been shortened to 56 games from the normal 82, broadcast NBC will carry 16 exclusive games, more than ever before. #That was included in NBC’s release #Tuesday on their exclusive-game schedule:

• #Once a week – NBC #Sports will showcase the NHL 16 times on NBC – once every week on average during the 2020-21 season – beginning #Sunday, #January 17, featuring the #Washington #Capitals and #Pittsburgh #Penguins. #It’s the most-ever NHL regular-season games on NBC.
• #Fan-favorite rivalries – The NHL on NBC schedule features a number of rivalries, including a #Valentine’s #Day date between the #Capitals and #Penguins, plus #Blackhawks-Red #Wings, #Bruins-Rangers, and #Blues-Avalanche matchups.
• “Final flex #Saturday” – the final game on the NHL on NBC schedule on #Saturday, #May 8, is currently TBD and will feature the most compelling game with playoff implications.

#It’s rather remarkable to see a record level of NHL games on NBC’s broadcast network in a significantly-shortened season. #But with that, it’s worth keeping in mind that many networks have less other programming in general at the moment thanks to challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. #Even with that, though, this is quite a level of broadcast TV exposure for the NHL. #Here’s the schedule so far:

NHL ON NBC 2020-21 SCHEDULE

#Date	#Away	#Home
#Sun., #January 17	#Washington	#Pittsburgh
#Sun., #January 24	#Detroit	#Chicago
#Sun., #February 7	#Philadelphia	#Washington
#Sun., #February 14	#Washington	#Pittsburgh
#Sat., #February 20	#Vegas	#Colorado
#Sun., #February 21	#Philadelphia	#Boston
#Sun., #February 28	#Boston	NY #Rangers
#Sun., #March 7	#Buffalo	NY #Islanders
#Sun., #March 28	NY #Rangers	#Washington
#Sun., #April 4	#Detroit	#Tampa #Bay
#Sat., #April 17	#Pittsburgh	#Buffalo
#Sun., #April 18	#Washington	#Boston
#Sat., #April 24	#Colorado	#St. #Louis
#Sun., #April 25	#Boston	#Pittsburgh
#Sun., #May 2	#Tampa #Bay	#Detroit
#Sat., #May 8	TBD	TBD

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#This is a significant level of broadcast-level exposure, which comes with around an extra 40 million homes or so of potential viewers versus NBCSN (based on 2020 #Nielsen TV universe estimates of 121 million TV households to NBCSN’s reported carriage estimate of 79.9 million homes in #January). #And NBCSN will also be carrying a lot of #Wednesday night and #Sunday night games, as detailed in the NBC release. #And that’s notable considering that the 2020-21 season is the last one under NBC’s current national TV contract. NBC will likely try to retain at least some rights in the next go-round, but there has been talk that ESPN or others could try and get some national games. #But this winter and spring at least, NBC will be showing a lot of national NHL games.

[NBC Sports Group Pressbox]