The Stanley Cup Playoffs was a mixed draw on NBCSN Wednesday, but turned in impressive numbers in New York and St. Louis.
Game 4 of the Rangers/Penguins Stanley Cup playoff series drew 684,000 viewers on NBCSN Wednesday night, up 22% from Penguins/Blue Jackets last year (560K) and the third-largest audience of the postseason on cable (25 telecasts).
In New York, where the NBCSN broadcast was blacked out, MSG Network and MSG+ combined for a 4.84 rating and 516,000 viewers — bringing the audience for the game past the one million mark. MSG has now averaged a 4.74 for its three-game coverage of the series, up 74% from last year’s comparable opening round coverage.
Blues/Wild Game 4 drew 404,000 on NBCSN later in the night, down 44% from Blues/Blackhawks last year (723K). In St. Louis, where as in New York the NBCSN telecast was blacked out, Fox Sports Midwest earned a 12.4 rating — the network’s highest rating ever for Blues coverage.
The Blues/Wild series now accounts for three of the four highest rated Blues games on FS Midwest, with Game 3 (11.7) and Game 1 (11.3) ranking third and fourth.
Rounding out Wednesday’s action, USA Network drew 454,000 for Canadiens/Senators Game 4 and 436,000 for the finale of Ducks/Jets.
(Wed. numbers from ShowBuzz Daily, MSG, foxsports.com)
