A successful Stanley Cup Finals ended with the biggest overnight rating of the season.
Via the Mediaweek Programming Insider, Game 6 of the Red Wings/Penguins Stanley Cup Finals averaged a 4.4/7 overnight from 8:00-11:00 PM last night. The overnight rating does not include the Washington D.C. or Cincinnati markets.
The game drew a superb 7.02 million viewers, according to preliminary numbers, and a 3.0/9 among adults 18-49. NBC finished third for the night in total viewers, ahead of ABC and The CW, and placed second among adults 18-49, behind only FOX.
Should the 7.02 million viewers hold, Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals would be the most watched NHL telecast since Game 7 of the Mighty Ducks/Devils Finals drew 7.2 million viewers in 2003.
The 4.4 overnight is the best for a Game 6 since 2000, when Devils/Stars Game 6 drew a 5.2/11 on ABC. Compared to the last Game 6 in the Stanley Cup Finals, the 4.4 overnight is up 100% from a 2.2 for Hurricanes/Oilers two years ago.
Games 5 and 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals drew the two highest overnights ever for an NHL telecast on NBC, and both games will likely finish as the two highest rated NHL telecasts since the lockout. The 2008 Stanley Cup Finals should easily finish as the highest rated on broadcast television since 2002.
Heading into Game 6, NBC averaged a 2.8 final rating with 4.8 million viewers for three Stanley Cup Final telecasts.
Overnight ratings for Stanley Cup Finals on NBC.
2.8: Red Wings/Penguins Game 3 (Wed., 5/28, 8 PM NBC); up 87% from last year.
2.6: Red Wings/Penguins Game 4 (Sat., 5/31, 8 PM NBC); up 13% from last year.
4.2: Penguins/Red Wings Game 5 (Mon., 6/2, 8 PM NBC); up 79% from last year.
4.4: Red Wings/Penguins Game 6 (Wed., 6/4, 8 PM NBC); no comparable game last year.
