Backstrom TV show gets competition from NHL player Nicklas Backstrom

By Mike Valdez | February 24, 2015

Backstrom, the TV show on FOX, is in its first season and is struggling for sufficient ratings to make it into season two. Backstrom, the NHL hockey player, is having one of the better stretches of his career for the Washington Capitals. Now the two find themselves fighting for the same headline space, creating potential confusion for those who follow one and aren’t aware of the other. But is it possible that the mere existence of one could impact the popularity of the other and vice versa?

There have been some instances of crossover names canceling each other out in the entertainment industry. When the TV shows 30 Rock and Studio 60 both launched on NBC at the same time, it was nearly a given that only one or the other would last. And there are other instances where the acting and sports worlds have collided. Actor Michael B Jordan will always be thought of in terms of how his popularity stacks up to the other Michael Jordan. But Backstrom is something of a unique case.

Backstrom the television show has only been around for a couple months and is struggling to find popularity in its first season; it’s based on a highly regarded novel series, but those came out of Sweden and were more popular in Europe. And the NHL is struggling to retain its popularity to the point that only the top players become household names outside the fan base. Nicklas Backstrom has scored points in four out of his last five games, and despite a long career, is just now getting some broader name recognition.

The impact here may actually be positive for both sides. Backstrom is such a weird name for an American TV show that some people are still erroneously referring to it as “Backstorm” and one has to wonder if it would be doing better if it were simply called “The Angry Detective” or some other simpler name. Nicklas Backstrom the hockey player is getting some accidental exposure from those who are searching for information on the TV show, and while that won’t automatically turn them into NHL fans, the exposure can’t hurt. The real trouble comes if Backstrom ends up being canceled, which means Nicklas may have to spend the rest of his career being associated with a failed TV show.