The usual suspects are watching the Stanley Cup Playoffs in big numbers.
Game 3 of the Penguins/Senators series drew a 21.6 rating on FSN Pittsburgh Sunday night, the third highest rating ever for a Penguins playoff game on the network.
That near-record comes on the heels of the Penguins averaging an 8.2 rating on FSN Pittsburgh during the regular season, an all-time record for the team, and the highest average rating in the NHL.
Meanwhile, Sunday’s Devils/Flyers Game 3 drew a 6.8 rating on CSN Philadelphia, the highest rated Flyers playoff game on the network since ’08.
Outside the Keystone State, Friday’s Red Wings/Coyotes Game 2 drew a 4.7 rating on FS Arizona, the second-highest rating ever for a Coyotes game on the network. Only Coyotes/Blues in May ’99 drew a higher rating (6.1).
Overall, six NHL teams had double-digit increases in overnight ratings for Game 1 of their playoff series — including a 100% increase for Devils/Flyers Game 1 on MSG+ and a 116% jump for Red Wings/Coyotes Game 1 on Phoenix affiliate KTVK.
Not all the news was positive. In Los Angeles, Thursday’s Kings/Canucks Game 1 drew a 1.5 rating on FS West — while the Dodgers’ regular season win over the Diamondbacks drew a 1.9 on FS Prime Ticket.
(Sports Business Daily, Puck The Media, Los Angeles Times, penguins.nhl.com, NHL)
