the 2020 winter classic was the least-watched game in the event's history, drawing only 1.97 million viewers. an error in the nielsen reporting counted the hour-long pregame show as part of the game itself, which appears to be the primary factor in the ratings drop, as the game's primary competition—college football bowl games on espn and abc—also saw lower cumulative viewership (though the two bowls scheduled opposite the winter classic individually had higher ratings than the year before, when there were three bowls in the slot). wgrz in buffalo, new york was the highest-rated local station, ahead of even nashville (wsmv) and dallas (kxas), both of which set market records for nhl viewership with the contest.