The second night of the Stanley Cup Playoffs was a mixed bag on NBCSN and CNBC. In other news, the WNBA Draft had another decline in viewership, and the NFL schedule release posted gains on ESPN and NFL Network.
Stanley Cup Playoffs Mixed on Thursday
- Game 1 of the Flyers/Capitals Stanley Cup playoff series earned 626,000 viewers on NBCSN Thursday night, up 5% from Penguins/Rangers last year (597K) but down 10% from Blackhawks/Blues in 2014 (697K). The Wild/Stars nightcap had 481,000 (+3%). On CNBC, Sharks/Kings drew 280,000 and Islanders/Panthers 254,000 — up 28% and down 27%, respectively, from last year’s doubleheader of Jets/Ducks (218K) and Red Wings/Lightning (348K).
WNBA Draft Viewership Down Again
- The 2016 WNBA Draft earned 254,000 viewers on ESPN2 Thursday night, down 9% from last year (278K), down 38% from 2014 (413K) and the least-watched edition of the event since 2012, the last time it took place on a weekday afternoon (189K).
NFL Schedule Release Up From Last Year
- ESPN and ESPN2 combined to average 353,000 viewers for a two-hour NFL schedule release special Thursday night, up 3% from last year, when coverage aired only on ESPN (342K). NFL Network scored 204,000 for its three-hour show (+59%).
(Thu. numbers via ShowBuzz Daily)
