Stanley Cup playoff ratings failed to make par Wednesday night.
Wednesday’s Lightning-Devils Stanley Cup Playoffs Game 4 delivered a 0.20 rating and 320,000 viewers on Golf Channel, down 23% in viewership from last year (Senators-Bruins: 417K) and down 38% and 35% respectively from 2016 (Panthers-Islanders: 0.32, 493K). Those games aired on USA Network.
Later in the night, Ducks-Sharks Game 4 had 179,000 — down 40% from last year (Ducks-Flames: 297K) and down 43% from 2016 (Kings-Sharks: 313K). Again, those comparable games aired on USA.
Wednesday marked the first time that Stanley Cup playoff games aired on Golf Channel, the result of scheduling conflicts on USA and CNBC. Viewership increased over the previous games in the series, which aired on CNBC (Lightning-Devils: 297K; Ducks-Sharks: 139K). With that said, the games trailed all four postseason windows on USA.
Over on NBCSN, Penguins-Flyers Game 4 had a 0.41 and 659,000 viewers — down 3% in viewership from last year (Maple Leafs-Capitals: 677K) but up 21% and 26% respectively from 2016 (Capitals-Flyers: 0.34, 521K). It was the first game of the series to decline.
The Predators-Avalanche nightcap had a 0.33 (-13%) and 544,000 (-14%), marking the first game of that series to decline as well.
Wednesday was the first night of the Stanley Cup Playoffs in which every game declined from last year.
[Wed. numbers from Nielsen via Programming Insider 4.19]
