The NBA forces NHL to play little brother again during the playoffs

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James Connelly
May 26, 2024 (4:10 PM)

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Today the Florida Panthers are facing off against the New York Rangers in game three of the Eastern Conference Finals and are playing earlier than normal due to the NBA's scheduling.

Today the New York Rangers and Florida Panthers are playing a rare afternoon game during the third round of the playoffs. So far all of the Rangers' games against the Panthers have been played at 8 pm EST but because of the NBA's scheduling, the NHL is being forced to play earlier than normal.

The #NHL has scheduled all of their games Conference Finals games around 8 PM EST but are being forced to play today's game between the New York Rangers and Florida Panthers during the afternoon today as the NBA's Dallas Mavericks take on the Minnesota Timberwolves at 8 PM.

While hockey is a sport on the rise, it still struggles to compete with the NBA as it has a larger viewership in the USA. Here is how the NHL has been doing during the playoffs thus far.

NHL playoff first round viewership up 17% over last year. NBA first round down 9% over last year. Legit the only sport that is down this year is the NBA. Everything else is setting records.

Hopefully, within the next few years, the NHL can overtake the NBA and the two sports can reach a similar level long-term.