The NHL enters the Stanley Cup Finals on the heels of record numbers for the clinching game of the Western Conference Finals.
The Red Wings’ series-clinching overtime win over the Blackhawks drew a 2.1 cable rating and 2.3 million viewers on Versus Wednesday night, the most-watched program ever on Versus in terms of households, and the fourth-most watched telecast in total viewers.
Game 5 drew a 15.9 rating in Detroit and a 7.1 in Chicago — the highest ratings ever for an NHL telecast on Versus in both markets.
Overall, the NHL Conference Finals averaged a 1.5 cable rating and 1.7 million viewers on Versus, up 25% in ratings and 31% in viewers from a 1.2 and 1.3 million last year.
Source: New York Times
