The Stanley Cup Playoffs has gotten off to a good start overall, but the NBC broadcast network has been a decidedly weak link.
Saturday’s Predators-Blackhawks Stanley Cup Playoffs Game 2 delivered a 0.9 final rating and 1.7 million viewers on NBC, down 36% in ratings and 25% in viewership from Penguins-Rangers in 2015, the last time NBC aired a primetime game on the first weekend of the playoffs (1.4, 2.2M).
The Blackhawks’ 5-0 loss ranks as the lowest rated and least-watched primetime NHL playoff game ever on NBC, and the network’s second-worst primetime game overall — ahead of only a regular season Rangers-Flyers matchup two years ago (0.8, 1.4M).
No doubt hurting the numbers was the much more compelling Maple Leafs-Capitals Game 2 on NBCSN, which had a 0.4 and 759,000 — up a tick in ratings and 75% in viewership from Wild-Stars last year (0.3, 433K).
Saturday night was a microcosm of the weekend, with NBC down and its cable siblings up across the board.
On NBC, Bruins-Senators Game 2 posted a 0.7 and 1.1 million Saturday afternoon — down 30% in both measures from Rangers-Penguins last year (1.0, 1.6M) and the network’s least-watched playoff game since at least 2012. Wild-Blues Game 3 had a 0.9 (-31%) and 1.5 million (-24%) the following day. Excluding the All-Star Game, none of NBC’s 15 indoor NHL telecasts this season have cracked a 1.0 rating.
Meanwhile on cable, viewership increased for Sunday’s Blue Jackets-Penguins Game 3 (613K, +17%), Canadiens-Rangers Game 3 (592K, +12) and Oilers-Sharks Game 3 (554K, +70%), as well as Saturday’s Flames-Ducks Game 2 (498K, +6%).
The cable growth has made up for the broadcast erosion. Including streaming, NBC family of networks averaged 726,000 viewers for playoff coverage through Sunday — up 9% from last year (669K). On cable alone, viewership is up 15% to 581,000, a record at this point of the postseason for NBC’s cable channels.
(Wknd. numbers via ShowBuzz Daily 4.18, NBC Sports Group Press Box 4.18)
