The NHL may not make much of a dent in ratings nationally, but the league is a hit in local markets. New York, Pittsburgh and Minneapolis have seen big numbers for first round action.
FSN Pittsburgh is drawing huge numbers for the start of the Penguins playoff run. Game 3 of the Penguins/Senators playoff series, which saw Sidney Crosby and the Pens take a 3-0 lead on the defending conference champions, drew a whopping 16.5 rating on FSN Pittsburgh Monday night.
The 16.5 rating is the third highest rated Penguins game in FSN Pittsburgh history. The game combined with a Pirates/Dodgers telecast to help FSN Pittsburgh average a 13.1 rating, “the highest primetime network rating in Pittsburgh Monday night.”
In New York, the Rangers/Devils series has been a hit. Game 3 of the series, which the Devils won to pull to within 2-1 in the series, drew a 2.6 rating on MSG — the highest NHL rating on the network since before the 2004-05 lockout. The game drew a 0.6 rating on MSG Plus, which aired the same feed but with Devils announcers. Combined, Game 3 put up a 3.2 rating in New York.
Game 1 of the series also drew strong numbers, with MSG drawing a 2.3 and MSG Plus putting up a 0.5. The combined rating for that game was a 2.8.
Minnesota continues to draw big numbers for Wild playoff games. Game 3 of the Wild/Avalanche series, which Minnesota won in overtime, drew an 11.2/22 on KSTC Monday night. Game 4 on Tuesday was less of a draw, putting up only a 7.8/15 on FSN North.
Nationally, the NHL on Versus has seen a 10% jump in ratings, with early round playoff games averaging a 0.3 cable rating and 295,000 viewers.
