Jared Beilby

@beilby.bsky.social

data journalist. sports, pop culture, video games. i make charts 📊 @usatoday.com

The #NHL Winter Classic broke a dubious barrier this season. The Blues' 6-2 is also tied for the largest blowout in Winter Classic history (the Canadiens beat the Bruins 5-1 in 2016)

Bar chart titled ‘NHL’s Winter Classic hit a new viewership low’ showing the average TV viewership for the NHL Winter Classic from 2008 to 2024. Viewership peaked at 4.5 million in 2011 and 2014, but steadily declined, reaching a record low of 920,000 in 2025. The chart highlights a transition to cable broadcasts starting in 2022, which coincides with a significant drop in viewership. Key data points include no games in 2013 and 2021, and a drop to 1.1 million viewers in 2023. The chart attributes the decline to factors like competition with college football and the move from network TV. Chart by Jared Beilby, source: Sports Media Watch.

For the first time since week 10, Saquon Barkley is not on pace to break the single-season rushing record of 2,105 set by Eric Dickerson. After his 65-yard performance this week his required YPG jumped from 121 to 139. His remaining opponents are Washington, Dallas, and the Giants. #NFL #Eagles

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imo the reason for the rarity trend is because of increased parity in the salary cap era, additional teams, and expanded playoffs. That said, if there was to be a Super Bowl preview this season, the Bills and Lions is a good place to start #nflsky #dataviz

The chart titled “How often has there been a Super Bowl preview?” shows how often regular season matchups have turned into Super Bowl rematches. It reveals that only 14 of 58 Super Bowls (24%) have been previews, with just one occurrence in the past decade. The vertical axis measures the point differential of the Super Bowl winner in both the Super Bowl and the first game between the two teams. Green lines represent games where the Super Bowl winner also won the first game, while orange lines represent games where they lost. Trophy icons indicate the Super Bowl point differential, and circles represent the first game’s result. Two annotations highlight key moments: the Bills played in two Super Bowl previews, and the most recent preview was the Buccaneers-Chiefs matchup in 2020. The chart is credited to Jared Beilby, with the source being Pro Football Reference, and the branding “JustOneChart.com” appears in the bottom right corner.