Airing opposite a competing NHL game, the Penguins-Capitals series got off to a slower start. In other news, the Yankees have posted a big increase on YES Network, and NASCAR did as well as one would expect last Monday.
Competition Sinks Pens-Caps
- Thursday’s Penguins-Capitals Stanley Cup Playoffs Game 1 earned a 0.8 final rating and 1.4 million viewers on NBCSN, down a tick in ratings and 6% in viewership from the same matchup last year (0.9, 1.5M) but up a tick and 27% respectively from Capitals-Rangers in 2015 (0.7, 1.1M). Unlike last year, the game aired opposite competing NHL action on CNBC. Rangers-Senators Game 1 had 476,000.
Yankees Viewership Up Big on YES
- Through 16 telecasts, New York Yankees games on YES Network have averaged 334,000 viewers in the New York City market, up 41% from last year. Thursday’s Yankees-Red Sox game delivered a 3.93 rating and 412,000 viewers, the network’s third-best rating and viewership this season. The previous night’s game was not far behind with a 3.82 and 396,000 despite co-existing with national coverage on ESPN.
2.2 Million For Bristol Make-Up Race
- Rain-delayed NASCAR Cup Series racing from Bristol (Tenn.) had a 1.6 final rating and 2.2 million viewers on FOX Monday afternoon. Figures were not available for the network’s previous Monday make-up race, Texas in 2014. Last year’s Bristol race, which was run as scheduled on a Sunday afternoon, had a 3.4 and 5.5 million.
