A first round Game 7 took a backseat to a second round opener, though with an important caveat.
Game 7 of the Predators/Ducks Stanley Cup playoff series earned 624,000 viewers on NBCSN Wednesday night, up 18% from Kings/Sharks in 2014 (528K). There was no comparable window last year.
Nashville’s series-clinching win was the most-watched game of the series, but not the top game of the day. In the early window, Game 1 of the Islanders/Lightning second round series had 775,000 viewers — down 21% from Red Wings/Lightning Game 7 in the same window last year (978K) and down 31% from Flyers/Rangers Game 7 in 2014 (1.1M).
Keep in mind that NBCSN owns exclusive rights to second round Stanley Cup playoff games, while its first round coverage is blacked out in the local markets. So even though Predators/Ducks had a smaller audience on NBCSN, it is possible that the local numbers would bridge the gap.
(Wed. numbers via ShowBuzz Daily)
