After a record regular season, the Penguins kept up their torrid pace on Root Sports in the first round of the playoffs. In other news, ratings have risen by double-digits for the Cleveland Indians, and the broadcast debut of the F.A. Cup was not much of a draw on Saturday.
Penguins Set More Records on Root Sports
- The Penguins’ six-game first round series against the Islanders averaged a 21.3 rating on Root Sports (five telecasts), the network’s highest playoff average ever. Saturday’s clinching Game 6 drew a 23.3 on Root Sports, the highest rating ever for a first round game on the network, and the fourth-highest overall. (Fox Sports)
Indians Ratings Up Double-Digits
- Cleveland Indians Major League Baseball regular season games have averaged a 5.1 rating on SportsTime Ohio so far this season, up 15% from the comparable period last year. The three-game Tigers/Indians weekend series averaged a 6.7 rating, and included the team’s second-and-third highest rated games of the season. (Fox Sports)
F.A. Cup Earns Minuscule Numbers in Broadcast Debut
- The 2013 F.A. Cup Final between Manchester City and Wigan, the first to ever air on U.S. broadcast television, drew a 0.5 overnight rating on FOX. By comparison, the UEFA Champions League Final has earned between a 1.1 and 1.8 in three years on FOX, and last year’s MLS Cup drew a 0.7 on ESPN. (Weekend overnights from Sports Business Daily)
