The best NHL final four in years begins tonight, with ratings up a whopping 36% on Versus.
Through the first two rounds of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Versus is averaging a 0.5 cable rating and 458,000 viewers, up 25% and 36%, respectively, from last year. During the second round of the playoffs, Versus saw a 55% increase, averaging 616,000 viewers.
The 616,000 viewers for second round coverage is short only 9% of the 673,000 viewers who tuned into Versus’ coverage of last year’s Stanley Cup Finals.
During this postseason, Versus has drawn some of its largest audiences for NHL telecasts. Game 4 of the Penguins/Rangers series was the first NHL broadcast on Versus to average more than 1 million viewers, while at least four other games finished with over 800,000. The Penguins/Rangers game actually finished as the most watched program for the night on cable among men 18-34 and 18-49 — defeating the competing Pistons/76ers Game 6 on TNT in both demographics.
