The 2018 Winter Classic at Citi Field hit a new ratings low for the event in the U.S. According to NBC, the New York Rangers' overtime win over the Buffalo Sabres produced a 1.42 household rating and a total audience delivery of 2.484 million viewers. The previous low for the Classic was last season's Chicago Blackhawks vs. St. Louis Blues game at Busch Stadium, which produced a 1.5 national rating and 2.6 million viewers, despite being played on Jan. 2. This continues a three-year ratings slide for the Classic after 4.40 million viewers watched Detroit and Toronto play in Michigan Stadium in 2014. The silver lining for NBC: Winter Classic ratings are still double the average for its regular-season NHL games, as the network's 12 highest-rated regular season games have all been held outdoors. The golden (helmet) lining for NBC: Next year's game between the Chicago Blackhawks and Boston Bruins at Notre Dame offers a better matchup and a much more interesting venue than this edition did.