The Stanley Cup Finals had a solid performance on Tuesday night, but could not quite match last year’s numbers.
Red Wings/Penguins Game 6 drew a 4.1 overnight rating on NBC Tuesday night, down 7% from a 4.4 for last year’s clinching Game 6 between the same teams, and tied as the third-highest overnight for an NHL telecast on NBC since the net began airing games in ’06. Only Games 5 and 6 of last year’s Penguins/Red Wings series drew higher overnights.
Through four games, NBC has averaged a 3.2 overnight rating for the 2009 Stanley Cup Final, down 9% from a 3.5 through four games last year. Overnight ratings have declined for three of NBC’s four telecasts.
While NBC’s first three Stanley Cup Final telecasts helped the net win the night in prime time, Tuesday’s Game 6 led NBC to a second-place finish among adults 18-49 and a third-place finish in total viewers.
