LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Scripps Sports announced on Thursday that viewership for the first five locally broadcast Vegas Golden Knights games is up 135% compared to all major cable telecasts last season.
After moving its distribution to Scripps Sports, the defending NHL Stanley Cup champions are "drawing an average of 8.5 house rating in Las Vegas," according to Comscore data. The games, which were broadcast on Scripps' new independent station Vegas 34, were played on Oct. 12, 14, 17, 19, and 21.
According to a news release, the 135% growth comes from comparing KMCC's viewership with the average viewership for all 2022-23 Vegas Golden Knights regular season games aired on ESPN and TNT.
Comscore reports that the highest-rated game was the VGK's matchup against the Dallas Stars on Oct. 21, which scored a 10.5 rating. That means that more than 10% of households in the Las Vegas TV market watched that game.
“The viewership and engagement we are seeing for the Golden Knights this year have grown incredibly and should dispel any doubts about the power of an over-the-air broadcast channel to serve sports fans,” Scripps Sports President Brian Lawlor said. “The Golden Knights wanted to reach more of their fans, and they clearly are.”
In addition to KMCC, the Scripps Sports-produced games are available for local fans through a new direct-to-consumer streaming app, KnightTime+.
“This partnership with Scripps Sports has allowed more of our fans to access our games on TV than ever before,” Golden Knights President Kerry Bubolz said. “With the team’s success as defending Stanley Cup champions and our 9-0-1 start, we couldn’t have asked for a better time to provide this enhanced access for our fans in the Las Vegas Valley and beyond.”
In the first three weeks of the season, Golden Knights games average "more than 1 million minutes of streaming" per week on KnightTime+, developed by ViewLift in partnership with Scripps Sports and the Golden Knights.
“Engagement with our direct-to-consumer app is well ahead of our projections,” Bubolz said. “The Golden Knights have a dedicated fan base. We are thrilled to make games available on multiple platforms, allowing our fans to access games on any device, serving them wherever they are.”
