Who doesn’t miss the Flyers in the playoffs?
The Flyers missed the playoffs yet again this season, marking their fifth consecutive year without postseason action, tying their longest drought in team history (1989-94). They finished the 2024-25 season with a 33-39-10 record, placing 8th in the Metropolitan Division and 16th in the Eastern Conference. Struggles with goaltending, a weak power play (30th in the NHL at 14.9%), and a rough March stretch (1-10-1) were big factors in their elimination, sealed by a 3-2 loss to the Montreal Canadiens. Despite this, there’s optimism with rookie Matvei Michkov’s strong performance and a stockpile of draft picks, including three first-rounders in 2025.
It definitely stings for Philly fans! As for NHL playoff viewership in 2025, it’s taken a hit in the U.S., with reports showing a significant decline compared to 2024. Through the first two rounds, games on ESPN platforms averaged 886,000 viewers, down 28%, while TNT Sports saw 882,000 viewers per broadcast, a 19% drop. First-round games alone averaged just 718,000 viewers, a 27% decrease from last year’s 980,000.
A big reason for the drop is the absence of major U.S. hockey markets like Boston, New York (Rangers, Islanders, Devils), Chicago, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Detroit, which typically drive ratings. Five of the 16 playoff teams were Canadian, up from four in 2024, and Canadian teams don’t draw as much U.S. viewership due to separate media deals north of the border.
On the flip side, Canadian viewership is surging, with second-round games averaging 2.2 million viewers, up 45% from last year. Combined U.S. and Canada audiences are up 5% overall, averaging 2.8 million per game. Some argue the decline also ties to fan dissatisfaction with ESPN’s coverage and the cable model’s complexity, with suggestions that streamlining streaming on platforms like ESPN+ could help.
Despite the U.S. dip, 2024’s playoffs were a high point, averaging 1.54 million viewers, the best in 28 years, boosted by big markets like New York making deep runs. The 2025 drop seems more about market dynamics than a rejection of hockey itself—parity in the NHL means smaller markets like Ottawa or Winnipeg can make the playoffs, but they don’t pull casual U.S. viewers like a Bruins or Rangers series would.
Low and behold, hopefully the orange and black right the ship next season, and get back to the playoffs again.
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