The first Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs did well both nationally and locally.
Game 7 of the Capitals/Islanders Stanley Cup playoff series drew 771,000 viewers on NBCSN Monday night, up 42% from Penguins/Blue Jackets Game 6 last year (544K) and the third-largest audience of the postseason to-date.
Only Games 3 and 6 of the Canadiens/Senators series earned larger audiences — 835,000 and 971,000 viewers, respectively.
The NBCSN broadcast was blacked out in the local markets. In New York, the game drew a 4.47 rating on MSG Network and MSG Plus — the networks’ highest Islanders rating on record (dates back to 1991). The full series averaged a 2.49 rating on the MSG networks (five telecasts), up 65% from the Islanders’ previous first round series in 2013.
On Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic, Game 7 had a 4.94 rating in Washington D.C. and a 3.11 in Baltimore, according to Sports Business Daily. The full series averaged a 3.28 and a 2.45 in the respective markets, with the former down 32% from the Capitals’ last first round appearance in 2013.
In other action Monday, Game 6 of Red Wings/Lightning drew 391,000 viewers on CNBC.
(Mon. numbers via Sports TV Ratings, MSG, Sports Business Daily)
