An overtime finale between top television markets on the most-watched night of the week propelled NBCSN its largest NHL audience ever.
Game 7 of the Kings/Blackhawks NHL Western Conference final drew a 2.3 U.S. rating and 4.1 million viewers on NBCSN Sunday night, the most-watched hockey game ever on NBCSN (previously VERSUS and OLN). The previous record was 4.1 million for the USA/Russia Olympic hockey game in February, and the previous record for the NHL was 4.0 million for Game 3 of last year’s Blackhawks/Bruins Stanley Cup Final. The Blackhawks have played in the four most-watched NHL games on NBCSN.
Excluding the Stanley Cup Final, Game 7 ranks as the most-watched NHL playoff game — on any network — on record (dates back to 1994). The previous mark was 4.0 million for Game 7 of the Panthers/Penguins Eastern Conference final on ESPN in 1996. Game 7 ranks fourth when regular season coverage is included, trailing only three Winter Classic telecasts on NBC.
Chicago was the top market for Game 7 with an NBCSN record 22.7 rating. Los Angeles ranked third with a 4.8, also an NBCSN record. Buffalo (7.3) was the top neutral market, followed by Minneapolis-St. Paul (4.3) and Boston (3.9). New York ranked ninth with a 3.7 rating, the market’s best ever for an NHL game on NBCSN that did not involve the Rangers, Islanders or Devils.
Game 6 of the series Friday night drew 2.3 million viewers, at the time the largest audience for a Western Conference final game on NBCSN in five years. That was of course surpassed by Sunday’s Game 7. Keep in mind several Eastern Conference games on NBCSN have earned larger audiences.
(Sun. numbers from NBC Sports Group Press Box; additional info from Bloomberg, TV By the Numbers)
