4 Nations Face-Off outshines NBA All-Star Game in head-to-head battle
The 4 Nations Face-Off has made hockey all the rave in the sports world. On Saturday night, the Team USA vs. Team Canada game was the most watched non-Stanley Cup Final hockey broadcast since 2019 — averaging 4.4 million viewers in the United States, with peak American viewership at 5.2 million, via ESPN.
Compare the 4 Nations’ ratings success to the competing NBA All-Star game, which despite drawing 4.7 million viewers saw a 13 percent decline in viewership from the year prior, as reported by Ryan Glasspiegel. So, the 4 Nations’ rise and the NBA’s drop-off became one of the stories of the weekend.
NHL viewership has been down in 2024-25, overall. The 2025 Winter Classic game between the Blackhawks and Blues only averaged 920,000 viewers (a 16 percent drop from 2024, and a 48 percent decline from 2023), per Sports Media Watch, so the 4 Nations provided a needed boost.
The ratings and overall public reaction to each game has reopened a conversation about the NBA All-Star Game, and all-star games in general. The overwhelming sentiment was that 4 Nations entirely outmatched the NBA. Saturday seems to show that fans think all-star games are antiquated and viewers prefer to watch true competition rather than what appears to be staged shows.
The 4 Nations Face-Off will conclude on Thursday night, with the final game between the USA and Canada. The NHL couldn’t have hoped for a larger stage for the end of the tournament; the two largest hockey markets in the world once again facing-off in a best-on-best, winner-take-all game in Boston.
Luke Graham is a digital sports content co-op for 98.5 the Sports Hub. He is currently a sophomore communications student at Northeastern University. Follow him on X @LukeGraham05.
