The Stanley Cup Playoffs could not match last year’s record pace Thursday night.
Game 4 of the Lightning/Red Wings NHL playoff series drew 527,000 viewers on NBCSN Thursday, down 50% from Bruins/Red Wings Game 4 last year (1.1M), which remains the network’s most-watched non-elimination game in the first round.
Despite the dramatic decline, Tampa Bay’s overtime win was the top draw of the night.
Later in the evening, NBCSN drew 511,000 for Game 5 of the Blackhawks/Predators series. Viewership for last year’s comparable Sharks/Kings Game 4 was not available. In Chicago, where the national broadcast was blacked out, the Blackhawks’ blowout loss drew a 9.7 rating on Comcast SportsNet Chicago Plus. The Bulls’ NBA playoff game against the Bucks aired on the primary CSN Chicago outlet, earning an 11.4 during the same timeslot.
Rounding out Thursday’s action, CNBC drew 272,000 viewers for Islanders/Capitals Game 5 and 174,000 for Flames/Canucks Game 5.
(Thu. numbers via Sports TV Ratings, bizjournals.com)
