Penguins-Capitals ratings are up big, except when compared to the same matchup last year.
Tuesday’s Capitals-Penguins Stanley Cup Playoffs Game 3 earned a 1.0 rating and 1.71 million viewers on NBCSN, up 71% in viewership from last year (Senators-Rangers: 1.0M) and up 96% from 2016 (Lightning-Islanders: 873K).
Washington’s win was the most-watched game of the postseason on cable, topping the previous high of 1.4 million for Maple Leafs-Bruins Game 7 in the first round.
Despite the big gains, viewership actually declined from last year’s Game 3 between the same two teams, which took place on a Monday night (1.88M).
Game 2 of the series had a 1.3 rating and 2.2 million viewers on NBC Sunday afternoon, up 30% in ratings and 37% in viewership from last year (Blues-Predators: 1.0, 1.6M) and up a tick and 20% respectively from 2016 (Blues-Stars: 1.2. 1.8M). However, that was also down from Game 2 of the same series last year, which took place on a Saturday night (1.5, 2.6M).
All three games have trailed the corresponding game of last year’s Penguins-Capitals series.
In other action, Sharks-Golden Knights Game 2 had a 1.4 (-7%) and 2.2 million (-13%) on NBC Saturday night. Game 3 of the series had a 0.6 and 1.0 million on NBCSN Monday; there was no comparable window last year.
Jets-Predators Game 2 scored a 0.7 and 1.2 million on NBCSN Sunday, up 40% in ratings and 51% in viewership from last year (Ducks-Oilers: 0.5, 803K) and up 40% and 48% respectively from 2016 (Predators-Sharks: 0.5, 819K).
Games 1 and 3 were not quite as impressive, with the former scoring a 0.47 (+4%) and 785,000 (+5%) on NBCSN Friday and the latter a 0.29 and 455,000 on CNBC Tuesday.
Rounding out the recent schedule, Bruins-Lighting Game 1 scored a 1.1 (+7%) and 1.7 million (+12%) on NBC Saturday and Game 2 drew a 0.8 and 1.4 million (-26%) on NBCSN Monday.
[Numbers from Nielsen via ShowBuzz Daily, Programming Insider]
