For the second straight week, NBC had an increase in ratings and viewership for NHL action.
Last Sunday’s Red Wings/Penguins NHL regular season game drew a 0.8 final rating and 1.3 million viewers on NBC, up a tick in ratings and 18% in viewership from Flyers/Penguins last year (0.7, 1.1M) but down a tick and 7%, respectively, from Bruins/Penguins in 2013 (0.9, 1.4M).
The year-over-year increase is a reversal from the overnights, which were down slightly.
The Red Wings’ blowout win was the second straight NHL telecast on NBC to have an increase over last year. Red Wings/Bruins the previous week drew a 0.9 and 1.2 million — up 29% in ratings and 9% in viewership from Red Wings/Rangers last year (0.7, 1.1M) and up 29% and 27%, respectively, from Rangers/Capitals in 2013 (0.7, 959K).
The back-to-back increases are first of the season on NBC. Ratings dropped for four of the network’s first eight telecasts, and there were no year-over-year comparisons for the other four due to last year’s Olympic break.
(Wknd. numbers from Sports Business Daily; previous wknd. numbers from NBC Sports)
