NBC did not get its desired match-up in the Stanley Cup Final, but if Game 1 is any indication, Blackhawks/Lightning will be a good consolation prize.
Game 1 of the Blackhawks/Lightning Stanley Cup Final earned a 4.2 overnight rating on NBC Wednesday night, up 11% from Rangers/Kings last year (3.8) but down 13% from Bruins/Blackhawks in 2013 (4.8).
The 4.2 overnight is the second-highest for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final since Red Wings/Flyers on FOX in 1997 (5.1), trailing only the previously mentioned Bruins/Blackhawks opener. It is also the fifth-highest overnight for a non-clinching Stanley Cup Final game on NBC since the network resumed airing games in 2006. The Blackhawks have played in three of the top five.
Locally, the Blackhawks’ comeback win earned a 28.0 rating in Chicago — up 12% from Game 1 in 2013 (25.1) and up 67% from Flyers/Blackhawks Game 1 in 2010 (16.8). The 28.0 is the market’s third-highest for an NHL game on NBC, and the highest for a non-clinching game.
Game 1 also earned a 17.9 rating in Tampa-St. Petersburg, up 47% from Flames/Lightning Game 1 in 2004, which aired on ESPN (12.2). The 17.9 is the market’s highest ever for the NHL on NBC family of networks.
