The first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs hit a seven-year viewership high, with strong numbers on NBCSN making up for a weaker performance on NBC.
Wednesday’s Hurricanes-Capitals first round Stanley Cup playoff Game 7 earned a 1.0 rating and 1.64 million viewers on NBCSN, up 21% in ratings and 16% in viewership from last year (Maple Leafs-Bruins: 0.8, 1.42M) and the most-watched opening round game on cable on record. The previous high was 1.51 million for Game 7 of Sharks-Blues on ESPN in 2000.
Carolina’s double-overtime win, which peaked with 2.52 million from 10:45-11 PM ET, delivered the third-largest audience of the postseason thus far. Games 2 and 6 of Bruins-Maple Leafs had 1.71 and 1.81 million, respectively, on NBC.
The game had a streaming audience of 106,000 on NBC Sports’ digital platforms, a first round record. Across television and streaming, the game had 1.75 million viewers.
On Tuesday night, Maple Leafs-Bruins Game 7 scored a 0.8 and 1.30 million and Golden Knights-Sharks Game 7 a 0.7 and 1.07 million. There were no games on the comparable night last year.
Including streaming, Tuesday’s games had 1.38 and 1.14 million viewers, respectively. The average audience of 1.24 million is the highest for a first round doubleheader on cable since NBCSN acquired rights.
Overall, the complete first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs averaged 778,000 viewers across NBC Sports’ TV and digital platforms, up 2% from last year (769K), up 5% from 2017 (743K), and the highest average since 2012 (936K).
Viewership increased despite all six games on the NBC broadcast network declining from last year. On cable, first round games averaged 673,000 viewers (including streaming), up 18% from last year (572K) and the highest average in a quarter-century (1994: 702K). This year was the first since 2014 in which three first round series went seven games.
[Numbers from NBC Sports; NBC Sports PR 4.25]
