A quiet conference final round has slowed the NHL’s pace, but Stanley Cup playoff viewership remains at a five-year high.
The first three rounds of the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs averaged 1.14 million viewers across ESPN, ABC and TNT, up 2% from last year and the highest average at this point of the postseason since 2018.
The two percent gain over last year is considerably narrower than earlier in the playoffs, no doubt the result of a conference final round in which not a single game averaged two million viewers.
Saturday’s Stars-Golden Knights Western Conference Final Game 5 delivered the largest audience of the conference finals with a 1.0 rating and 1.96 million viewers on ABC, down 22% in ratings and 21% in viewership from last year’s lone Game 5 — a Thursday night Lightning-Rangers game on ESPN (1.3, 2.48M).
Monday’s 6-0 Game 6 wipeout averaged just 1.58 million on ESPN, down 44% from last year’s lone Game 6, Rangers-Lightning on a Saturday night (2.84M). Ratings were not immediately available.
None of the conference final games rank among the five most-watched this postseason, with Stars-Golden Knights Game 5 placing sixth. Of the five most-watched games entering the Panthers-Golden Knights Cup Final, only one involved either team — Florida’s Game 7 upset of Boston in the first round (3.10M).
Game 5 was Saturday’s top program on broadcast television in the key young adult demographics (the NBA was on cable). Game 6 ranked outside of the top five on cable Monday night, but trailed only NBA and WWE programming (three programs each).
With the Stanley Cup Final featuring a non-traditional, Sun Belt matchup and airing entirely on cable, it is likely that the postseason will eventually finish below last year.
(Nielsen estimates from NHL, ShowBuzz Daily 5.31)
