A low-rated Stanley Cup Final ended on a soft note.
Game 6 of the Penguins/Sharks Stanley Cup Final earned a 3.1 rating and 5.4 million viewers on NBC Sunday night, per Nielsen fast-nationals — down 30% in ratings and 33% in viewership from Lightning/Blackhawks last year (4.4, 8.0M) and down 34% in both measures from Blackhawks/Bruins in 2013 (4.7, 8.2M), both of which aired on a Monday night. There was no Game 5 in 2014.
The Penguins’ win, which peaked at 6.9 million viewers from 10:30-10:45 PM ET, ranks as the least-watched Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final since Devils/Kings in 2012 (4.9M) and is tied as the lowest rated since Hurricanes/Oilers in 2006 (1.9).
It was the fifth game in the six-game series to hit a multi-year low in ratings and viewership.
Though low overall, Sunday’s game was NBC’s most-watched Stanley Cup Final telecast that did not involve an Original Six team (24 telecasts) — topping Game 7 of Oilers/Hurricanes in ’06 (5.3M). The 2006 game remains the highest rated (3.3). It was also was the highest rated and most-watched telecast of the NHL season, topping Game 5 on Thursday night (3.0, 5.0M).
Among adults 18-49, Game 6 had a 1.9 rating — down 32% from last year (2.8) and down 39% from 2013 (3.1). It was the lowest rated Game 6 in the demo since at least 2006, falling below a 2.0 in 2012. For the night, it ranked second among all programs on television behind HBO’s Game of Thrones (3.9).
(Sun. numbers from NBC Sports Group Press Box)
