The Washington Capitals’ playoff run was a major hit — and not just in Washington.
Game 7 of the Flyers/Capitals series drew a 0.7 cable rating with 682,000 viewers on Versus Tuesday night, the highest rated game on the network this postseason. The 682,000 viewers makes Flyers/Capitals the third most watched NHL broadcast on Versus in the past two years, behind only this year’s All Star Game and Game 1 of last year’s Stanley Cup Finals.
Flyers/Capitals was also a big hit locally. In Washington, the game drew a drew a record 5.6 rating, with a 3.6 in Baltimore. For the entire series, Comcast SportsNet Mid Atlantic averaged a 3.5 rating in Washington and a 2.0 in Baltimore — up 119% and 100%, respectively, from the last time the Capitals made the playoffs.
In Philadelphia, Game 7 drew an 8.5 rating, making the game the second-most watched program of the night in the nation’s fourth biggest television market.
Through the first round, Versus is averaging a 0.4 cable rating for Stanley Cup Playoff broadcasts, up 33% from a 0.3 in ’07. Versus has also seen increases of at least 66% in key demographics, including a 67% jump among men 18-34.
