The Chicago Blackhawks' television broadcast ratings plummeted last season, but it was not because of the team's poor record. A lot of it was because fans did not even have the option to ignore the team's poor performance.
The Blackhawks' co-owned regional sports network, the Chicago Sports Network (also known as CHSN), was not available on Comcast's Xfinity cable--the largest cable provider in the Chicagoland area.
Pretty much, the games were being broadcast to a limited audience since CHSN was only available on DirecTV, Astound/RCN, and over-the-air. Although the over-the-air signal supposedly had issues coming in clearly for some households. CHSN also provides a direct-to-consumer streaming option for $19.99 a month for Hawks games only and $29.99 to have the option of watching the Chicago Bulls and White Sox.
Finally, the 10-month blackout on Comcast is over as CHSN will be available to Xfinity customers starting Friday. However, CHSN will be on Xfinity's Ultimate tier, the most expensive cable package Comcast offers.
If fans are going to be shelling out more money, the Blackhawks owe it to them to put something worth watching on the ice.
Thankfully, the Blackhawks have the salary cap space to make that happen this offseason. The team also has the No. 3 overall pick in this year's draft to add a potential superstar player.
Add in an exciting group of young players, and the Blackhawks have the opportunity to put an entertaining product on the ice.
While it would be a stretch for the Blackhawks to make the jump from bottom-feeder in the standings to Stanley Cup contenders, the front office must do enough to draw back in fans who seemed to do just fine without viewing Blackhawks hockey.
Plus, it is a tried-and-true method for drawing folks back to the Blackhawks.
There was a time when Hawks' home games were not available on television. Apathy had settled in at the start of the century, due to how bad the team had become. That all changed the moment Bill Wirtz died and his son, Rocky, assumed ownership. He put home games on television that featured a young, exciting roster that featured Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, and Duncan Keith.
The Blackhawks have a similar young, exciting core featuring Connor Bedard, Frank Nazar, and Artyom Levshunov. The hope is that those three turn out to be Hall of Famers and win multiple Stanley Cups. The other hope is that they excite fans to fork over some extra money to tune into games.
They will need help, much like Kane, Toews, and Keith needed Brent Seabrook, Patrick Sharp, and Marian Hossa to become appointment television. That is why this offseason is critical for adding those players and making sure fans decide to voluntarily tune the team in after a season when many were not given the choice to tune the team out.
