Are you watching more?

I'm watching same as always: the maximum allowed.

Whoa!

We canceled Rinkside view. How can ratings still be up!

- Tom Feuer

I'd be watching a lot more if the brains at FSN would broadcast more than 10 games in HD. Even the Clippers are getting 30 HD games!

I'm watching more and going to fewer games. Just don't have the extra money to go to as many games as I want to. Plus it's been more exciting to watch the new guys develop. I just keep hoping for the break out of the slump...

Hmmm . . . . Rich, with "22 teams based in the United States" and 6 teams in Canada, where are the other two teams located??? Oh that's right, Florida got booted from the Union for all those hanging chads. ;-)

I watch every Kings game. I have for probably 25 years. And I'll be honest, I don't see the big deal about hockey in HD. I recently got an HD TV and it looks the same to me.

Yes.
I'm watching much more than the previous 2 seasons.
But, I'm thinking about tailing off the viewing a bit for the remainder.
This site and my discovery of blogs has been highly influential in my RETURN to hockey viewing.
Also, when I heard that Cammy, and then Lubo, were traded I was so pissed I got online and started to hammer Lombardi.
I'd like to suggest that anyone who tires of watching the season when the playoffs are no longer an option, start taking in some English Premiere League and follow the end of the season. You'll see an entirely different league structure that, I feel, is how sports leagues should be run.
You'll see a league, and teams, where teams have to fight for their lives in just about every game. The danger of finishing at the bottom of the league (bottom 3) is being relegated to the division below. The division below also has 3 promoted to the top league at the end of the season, and 3 relegated to the 3rd division.
I suggest this not because I expect everyone to love English Football, but so that more people get a perspective on what NON-FRANCHISED leagues are like. Everything is different. THere really aren't even trades. Players are bought and sold for cash and THEN they sign a contract with the club.

The greatest part of Promotion and Relegation, however, is that ANY club can hope to win trophies and rise to the top.
Hull City this season is in the top half of the Premiere League when only 4 seasons ago they were in the 4th division. Plus, they beat perennial top 4 team Arsenal once this season.

Anyway, I am watching more, for now, and a lot of my rejeuvenated interest is because of INSIDE THE KINGS with RICH HAMMOND.
And of course because of guys like QUisp, JDM, Anthony, J, Duckhunter, Al, Jet, and a lot of the participants here.

Thanks Rich and everyone.

Cheers.

I think the ratings jump could be due to the huge decline in season ticket renewals this year.

i've been really busy lately, i've actually listened to more games this year. which is something that i didnt really do at all in the past.

Let's see...

1.) Ownership raised ticket prices and parking is way overpriced and atrocious.
2.) We're in the middle of a recession which is causing everyone to budget their spending.
3.) The Kings aren't going to compete for the Stanley Cup this season.

Yup, I'm pretty much staying at home and watching good ol' Bob Miller and Jim Fox in the comfort of my living room. Thanks AEG and thank you George Bush for allowing me to add to the increase in the King's ratings this season. Luckily next season we'll have every game in HD, the Kings will be even more improved and we'll have a new leader in the oval office making positive changes. Hooray for the 2009-2010 Kings!!!

Viewership would have been down LAST season due to the Kings being 29th in the NHL. And they were out of the playoff race by January = meaningless games for 3 months.

Viewership would be up THIS season because:

A) Team is marginally better with more young, up-and-coming players. Struggles and all.

B) Fewer fans can afford to attend games due to finances, so they watch on tv.

C) There was no place to go but UP.

Thanks to the invention of the DVR I got my life back. I watch every game religiously...the only difference now is I can actually be social on a game night and catch the game on my time. Thank g-d for technology!

I think I've missed maybe 1 or 2 games tops.

Many of the comments above are insightful. I think that it is the combination of the team is young, exciting and improving, plus, costs of attending games are high and in challenging economic times, we can watch the game with Hall of Famer Bob Miller and a former King winger who knows the game (as well as which wine to select) Jim Fox, for less money.

I will go to Staples for about 12 - 14 games, not counting the playoffs (hope springs eternal). I watch almost all of the others that are televised.

I am glad the ratings are up. It gives AEG more reason to keep the Kings here, and invest in bigger player salaries (see, hope does spring eternal) -- ratings could go even higher!

I find that stat baffling. Other than the economy, I can't imagine why ratings would have jumped that much.

TB...That definitely helped....the invention of the DVR, man how did we survive without it? I program each Kings game one week in advance and am guarateed to be able to watch the games at my time (I only save the wins of course....). If you don't have one, get one. Then sit back, watch the Kings, NHL network and Fox College Sports for the college games, and enjoy. You'll drive your family nutz and your wife to a quick divorce. I love hockey, damn I'm going to miss her....

The main reason I'm watching more however is this team. I've always watched the Kings, shoot I'm an old LA Blades fan of the old PCHL. Those games were televised by KTLA, ah the good old days. This team however is much more fun than the teams we've had the last few years, I really enjoy our youth going out and doing battle with the older, more experienced teams. Plus, I see so much potential in this group, one of the reasons I'm excited to see Quick, Bernier, Ersberg, Quincey, Doughty, Moller, Simmonds, etc. This team is fun to watch. Disappointing of late? Sure. But at this stage of their development and at their age, this team is going to really good for years to come. I'm enjoying watching their development. If you've ever lived in a city where there was a junior team playing, you know what I'm talking about. The kids improve so much year after year. They get better and better. This is LA, our future, the playoffs and hopefully a cup. I like being part of it.

I watch a lot games with the Center Ice package since I'm out of state, but honestly, I only watch b/c of Bob, anymore. I know it's taboo to say so around here, but I really don't care for Jim Fox's commentary. Dare I say he's annoying. Oh yeah, so is the losing.

Rich. Do you have any idea what 0.38 means as far as numbers of viewers? Or, is that a ratio that indicates the percentage of viewers compared to everything else on TV at the same time?

I heard that last weekend the Man United/Chelsea game had an estimated BILLION viewers. I know hockey will never equal that, but I think hockey can do much better.

Any chance you have overall league Nielsen ratings and those for the WJC's?

On the other hand, Kings telecasts are reported with a 0.38 rating, which is tied for 18th among the 22 U.S. teams.

I watch every televised Kings game on NHL CenterIce (the greatest invention in the history of humankind) and for the couple of games a year that aren't televised I listen to the radio broadcast on the internet. Good or bad, I watch them all. This season has been very interesting and exciting despite the teams record. The future is very bright for this team.

Question: I wonder what the viewership is like outside of the Kings "region"? Are we talking hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands? How many American, Canadian, Overseas? I have no idea if these numbers exist or not, but it would be fascinating to see and compare to the rest of the league.

Paul from Oxnard:

Paul are you sure you are watching the games on a HD channel when they're on? I find it hard to believe you can't tell the difference between regular definition and HD, because the difference is night and day. When it says a game in in HD, you have to change it to a HD channel, not just leave on the regular channel, because then you wouldn't see a difference. If that's not the problem, maybe go out and buy an HDMI cable if you haven't already. That will give you the best possible signal. I'd hate to see you buy an HDTV and not get the full experience, because it's amazing!

Im watching more cause I cancelled my season tickets.

Simple.

@Tantrum: Yes, I do watch the games on the HD channel when it's available. That means mostly the games on Versus HD and the NHL Network HD since almost none of the Kings games are broadcast in HD. And when they are, I watch it on FSN HD. And yes, I did buy an HD cable.

The only difference I really notice is that the white stanchions along the boards that hold the glass in some arenas "blink" because the TV is constantly trying to adjust the white level. It's so annoying on some games that I can't even watch the game.

Now I do see a noticeable difference when I watch football. The whole game is more crisp, from the players to the ball to the grass on the field. But hockey just looks pretty much the same to me.

One thing for sure is that as season holder this year I will NOT re-new for next year. I have to miss about 5-8 games a year due to work travel. Not a big deal but I like to sell the tickets to games I can't go to,also the extra 2 I have on week night games. As they started selling seats right next to mine (sec. 110) for $11 that has stopped. No one wanted to buy my extra tickets even for 1/2 of face value last month.
Why should I be paying $80 plus when I can get them on-sale for $11? I guess next year I will watch more games and buy tickets to select games and then wait for the "sale tickets"
They do need more HD games, it is so much better!

Paul from Oxnard: I totally understand what you mean about the HD on Fox. They aren't really transmitting a true original HD feed. They are upscaling a crummy feed to us. Many of the Fox Channels around the United States are doing this. I hope that they will change soon.

Games in true HD are a pleasure to watch. You can see the puck wobble on the ice, see the snow build-up, etc. It's really a pleasure to watch in true HD.

Until our ratings rise, Fox Sports figures they'll put their HD cameras and crews where they can get their most return. Apparently, our ratings are rising... maybe we can see some more HD next year.

Paul, I can't believe you can't notice the diff. I am so spoiled by HD I hate to even watch in SD but I bleed purple so I suffer thru it. I'm pissed that FSN hasn't stepped up, what do the Clippers have that the Kings don't?, I know we have as many die hards (if not more) than they do.

Brent, yeah I know what you mean about the half-ass HD compared to "true" HD last season I watched games on HDNet, now that was was some "true HD"
GO KINGS!!

Paul, you need a Brand Name HDTV....the TV constantly trying to adjust the white makes no sense