For the first time in ten years, the first two games of the Stanley Cup Finals will air on broadcast.
NBC will air Games 1 and 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals this season, marking the first time since FOX held rights to NHL games that the first two games of the NHL’s marquee series aired on broadcast. NBC will also air Games 5, 6 and 7.
With NBC televising the first two games, Versus will now air Games 3 and 4.
From a ratings perspective, this move seems to help Versus far more than it helps NBC. Traditionally, the first two games of a given series draw the lowest ratings. It seems unlikely that NBC will draw higher ratings for Games 1 and 2 of this year’s series than it did for Games 3 and 4 last year. Meanwhile, Versus should see higher numbers for Games 3 and 4 — and if the Stanley Cup Finals ends in a sweep, the network could air the clinching game of the series.
