In 2017-18, there were two big surprises.
The NHL’s ratings soared, from 7.3 million to 17.4 million viewers a night.
Then, after the playoffs, the league made a big splash with a slate of marquee events.
It also made a huge splash by announcing that it was opening its new flagship brand, NBC Sports, with a $1 billion budget, more than doubling the previous league-wide deal.
And in 2018, the NHL was back in full force, with the league adding a new NHL Network, the new NBC Sports app and the NHL All-Star Game.
Here are five of the most surprising things we learned from the 2018-2019 season.
1.
The NFL was back 2.
The NBA and NHL are back 3.
MLB was back, and NBA players can still play in the playoffs 4.
The Olympics are back 5.
And the NBA’s all-star game is back 6.
The Warriors have gone on a run to win their first NBA title since 2007 7.
And there’s more to come with the 2018 NBA All-Stars 8.
Here’s how the NHL’s 2018-2020 schedule compares to the rest of the league.
