The first full weekend of the Stanley Cup Playoffs included a primetime playoff low on NBC and a multi-year high on USA.
Last Saturday’s Golden Knights-Wild Game 4 averaged a 0.6 rating and 1.14 million viewers on NBC, marking the smallest audience yet for a primetime Stanley Cup playoff game on broadcast television. The previous low was 1.23 million for a Stars-Avalanche game in the “bubble” last August.
The Golden Knights’ win declined 18% in ratings and 9% in viewership from last year’s comparable Golden Knights-Blackhawks Game 3 in the same Saturday night window (0.8, 1.25M). Compared to the last traditional postseason in 2019, ratings fell 37% and viewership 33% from Maple Leafs-Bruins Game 2 (1.0, 1.71M).
Earlier in the day, NBC drew a 0.6 and 1.06 million for Penguins-Islanders Game 4 — down 24% in ratings and 13% in viewership from Bruins-Hurricanes Game 3 in an earlier window last year (0.8, 1.21M) and down 20% and 11% respectively from 2019 (Hurricanes-Capitals Game 2: 0.75, 1.19M).
On cable, Bruins-Capitals Game 5 topped the weekend charts with a 0.40 and 699,000 on USA Network Sunday evening — the most-watched Stanley Cup playoff game on a network other than NBC or NBCSN since 2016. The previous mark was 653,000 for a Stars-Avalanche Game 7 in the “bubble” last year.
Boston’s series-clinching win comfortably outdrew the competing Oilers-Jets Game 3 on NBCSN, which drew a 0.24 and 407,000.
NBCSN also pulled a 0.36 and 675,000 for Avalanche-Blues Game 4 and a 0.27 and 451,000 for Hurricanes-Predators Game 4 earlier in the day. The previous day, CNBC chipped in a 0.15 and 253,000 for Panthers-Lightning Game 4 and a 0.14 and 242,000 for Canadiens-Maple Leafs Game 2.
Through Sunday, Bruins-Capitals Game 2 ranks as cable’s most-watched game of the postseason with a 0.45 and 754,000 on May 17. Golden Knights-Wild Game 3 ranks second at a 0.44 and 751,000 last Thursday (0.44, 751K), followed by Lightning-Panthers Game 1 May 16 (0.44, 742K), Capitals-Bruins Game 3 last Wednesday (0.44, 730K) and Islanders-Penguins Game 2 May 18 (0.40, 720K).
Figures for games this past Monday and Tuesday were not immediately available.
