It was not even the top game of the series, but the clinching Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final still hit a multi-year high on NBC.
Game 5 of the Rangers/Kings NHL Stanley Cup Final earned a 3.7 rating and 6.0 million viewers on NBC Friday night, according to Nielsen fast-nationals — up 16% in ratings and 7% in viewership from Bruins/Blackhawks last year (3.2, 5.6M) and up 85% and 82%, respectively, from Kings/Devils in 2012 (2.0, 3.3M). Keep in mind those two games aired on Saturday nights.
Friday’s game ranks as the highest rated and most-viewed Game 5 of a Stanley Cup Final since Penguins/Red Wings in 2008 (3.8, 6.2M), and the second-best Game 5 in those metrics since Hurricanes/Red Wings on ABC in 2002 (4.2, 6.8M).
With that said, Game 5 also earned the fourth-lowest rating and viewership for a Stanley Cup clincher since 1999 — ahead of only Oilers/Hurricanes Game 7 in 2006 (3.3, 5.3M), Devils/Kings Game 6 in 2012 (3.1, 4.9M) and Senators/Ducks Game 5 in 2007 (1.8, 2.9M). The short nature of the series, only the third since ’99 to finish in four or five games, played a role.
Game 5 tied last Saturday’s Game 2 as the highest rated of the Kings/Rangers series, but trailed the game in viewership (6.4M to 6.0M). Keep in mind Game 2 had a lead-in from The Belmont Stakes.
Locally, Game 5 earned a 12.4 rating in Los Angeles and a 10.4 in New York — the second-highest rated NHL game on NBC or NBCSN in both markets. The game was exceeded only by Devils/Kings Game 6 in Los Angeles (13.6) and Game 2 of this year’s series in New York (10.5). Buffalo (9.2), Boston (6.3) and Minneapolis-St. Paul (6.3) rounded out the top five.
(Fri. numbers from NBC Sports Group Press Box)
