Despite airing head-to-head with another playoff game, Game 4 of Rangers/Capitals had only a slight decline.
Game 4 of the Rangers/Capitals Stanley Cup playoff series drew 1.3 million viewers on NBCSN Wednesday, down 4% from Penguins/Rangers last year (1.4M) and up 3% from Penguins/Senators in 2013 (1.2M). The Capitals’ win aired opposite Canadiens/Lightning Game 3 on USA Network (676K); there was no such competition last year or in 2013.
Wednesday’s game earned the fourth-largest audience of the playoffs on cable, and the largest when the Blackhawks/Wild series is excluded.
Locally, Game 4 drew a 5.0 rating in New York City — topping Monday’s Game 3 (4.9) as the market’s second-highest for a second round Rangers game on the network. Only Game 7 of last year’s Penguins/Rangers series earned a higher local rating (5.8).
Also notable was the 5.9 rating for Canadiens/Lightning in the Tampa-St. Petersburg market, its highest ever for a second round Lightning game on the NBC cable networks.
(Wed. numbers via ShowBuzz Daily; local numbers from NBC Sports Group Press Box)
