SI Poll: Is Anyone
Watching?
Posted: Wed June 9,
1998
 This week, Sports Illustrated examines the NHL's plunging
TV ratings, and the perception that the league is struggling.
The magazine commissioned a poll by Yankelovich Partners,
in which 577 sports fans were asked various questions. Here
are some of the
responses:
| Do you consider yourself to be a fan of: |
| Professional football | 77% | |
| Professional basketball | 61% | |
| Professional baseball | 57% | |
| Professional car racing | 33% | |
| Professional golf | 29% | |
| Professional hockey | 28% | |
| |
| Do you have trouble following the puck when watching hockey
on television, or isn't that the case? |
| Yes, trouble following the puck | 38% | |
| No, do not | 59% | |
| Not sure | 3% | |
| |
| Many
NHL stars are not born in North America. Do you think this
causes sports fans to be less interested in following the
NHL, more interested, or doesn't make a
difference? |
| Less interested | 9% | |
| More interested | 3% | |
| No difference | 81% | |
| Not sure | 7% | |
| |
|
Did the participation of
NHL players in the Olympics give you a better impression of the
NHL, a worse impression, or did it not change your
impression? |
| Better impression | 21% | |
| Worse impression | 25% | |
| No change | 53% | |
| Not sure | 1% | |
| |
|
The
NHL playoffs were delayed because some players were
participating in the Olympics. Did this delay make you more
interested in watching the
NHL playoffs, less interested, or did it not affect you one way
or
another? |
| More interested | 3% | |
| Less interested | 7% | |
| Didn't affect | 84% | |
| Not sure | 6% | |
| |
|
Regardless of whether you watch hockey on television,
please tell whether you think it is very easy, somewhat
easy, somewhat difficult or very difficult to follow hockey
on
television: |
| Very easy | 21% | |
| Somewhat easy | 22% | |
| Somewhat difficult | 20% | |
| Very difficult | 15% | |
| Not sure | 22% | |
| |
|
Have you ever attended a hockey game in
person? |
| Yes | 34% | |
| No | 66% | |
| |
|
Have your watched the
NHL on
television? |
| Yes | 61% | |
| No, never | 38% | |
| Not sure | 1% | |
| |
|
Compared to a year ago, do you more often watch the
NHL on television, less often watch the NHL, or do you do it
about the same as
before? |
| More often | 12% | |
| Less often | 23% | |
| Same | 61% | |
| Not sure | 4% | |
| |
|
In your opinion, has the
NHL improved over the past few years, gotten worse, or has it
not changed over that
time? |
| Improved | 29% | |
| Gotten worse | 8% | |
| Not changed | 30% | |
| Not sure | 33% | |
|
NHL Finals
