NBC hit multi-year highs in ratings and viewership for the first half of last week’s ‘Hockey Day in America’ NHL doubleheader.
Regional NHL regular season action featuring Sharks/Red Wings earned a 1.3 final rating and 1.94 million viewers on NBC Sunday afternoon, up 30% in ratings and 26% in viewership from last year’s comparable window (NYR/PHI*: 1.0, 1.54M).
Excluding the Winter Classic, the telecast ranks as the highest rated NHL regular season telecast since January 2004 (tie), and the most-viewed since January 2006.
Conspicuously absent from NBC’s press release on Sunday’s ratings was any mention of the Bruins/Wild game later in the day. Overnights for that game were down 17%, and the final ratings were probably none too fresh either.
Also Sunday, NBC Sports Network earned a 0.2 U.S. rating and 203,000 viewers for Devils/Canadiens.
(Sunday’s numbers NBC Sports Group press release; additional information from The Voice of TV)
