A matchup of the nation’s #40 market and the least storied of the Canadian teams would seem like a ratings nightmare, but NBC was no worse for the wear Saturday night.
Saturday’s Golden Knights-Jets NHL Western Conference Final Game 1 had a 1.9 overnight rating on NBC, up 138% from Predators-Ducks last year, which aired on NBCSN on a Friday night (0.8). Versus the same window on NBC last year, overnights were even with Game 1 of the Senators-Penguins East Final.
The 1.9 overnight is the second-highest of the postseason behind only Game 5 of Penguins-Capitals in the second round (2.9). Penguins-Capitals aired immediately after NBC’s Kentucky Derby coverage (9.1) while Saturday’s game head a significantly smaller lead-in from the third round of The Players Championship (2.6).
Locally, Game 1 had a 15.3 rating in Las Vegas — the market’s highest on record for an NHL game.
On Sunday, Game 2 of the Capitals-Lightning Eastern Conference Final had a 1.5 overnight on NBCSN — up 13% from Senators-Penguins Game 2 last year, which aired on a Monday night (1.35). Compared to the same window on NBCSN last year, overnights increased 39% from Predators-Ducks Game 2 (1.1).
Game 1 of the series had 1.35 million viewers on NBCSN Friday, down 53% from last year’s aforementioned Penguins-Senators opener on NBC (2.9M) and down 22% from Lightning-Penguins on NBCSN in 2016 (1.7M). Final ratings were not immediately available.
It was the least-watched Eastern Conference Final opener since 2012 (Devils-Rangers: 1.29M). Compared to the same window on NBCSN last year, viewership increased 57% from Predators-Ducks Game 1 (856K).
