The deciding game of the NHL Eastern Conference final delivered strong numbers for NBCSN.
Game 7 of the Lightning/Rangers NHL Eastern Conference final earned 3.3 million viewers on NBCSN Friday night, the network’s third-largest NHL audience since acquiring rights in 2005 (excluding the Stanley Cup Final). It trails only two other game sevens — Kings/Blackhawks in last year’s West final (4.1M) and Red Wings/Blackhawks in the second round two years ago (3.4M).
Regardless of network, the Lightning’s win earned the second-largest audience for an NHL conference final since at least 2002. Last year’s aforementioned Kings/Blackhawks Game 7 holds the top spot. Friday’s game will likely drop to third when the final numbers are released for Saturday’s Blackhawks/Ducks Game 7, which aired on the NBC broadcast network.
Compared to the last Game 7 of an Eastern Conference final, viewership increased 29% from Bruins/Lightning in 2011 (2.6M). That game was also on a Friday night.
For the night, Game 7 was the top program on cable in viewership and the adults 18-49 demographic (1.2). In the latter measure, it ranked second on all of television behind the ABC News reality show What Would You Do? (1.3).
(Fri. numbers via ShowBuzz Daily, with additional info from TV By the Numbers)
