Despite the presence of the nation’s top three markets, the NHL conference finals has declined substantially from last year.
Game 2 of the Kings/Blackhawks NHL Western Conference final earned 1.4 million viewers on NBCSN Wednesday night, down 29% from Game 2 of the same series last year (2.0M), but up 73% from Kings/Coyotes in 2012 (835K). Last year’s Game 2 aired on a Sunday night.
Monday’s Rangers/Canadiens Game 2 drew 1.5 million, down 44% from Bruins/Penguins last year (2.6M) and up 10% from Devils/Rangers in 2012 (1.3M).
Both games earned fewer viewers than every conference final telecast last year. Keep in mind last year’s conference finals took place much later in the calendar and largely avoided competition with the NBA.
Final numbers for Game 1 of each series on NBC were not immediately available.
