After breaking even in Game 1, overnight ratings for Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final fell behind last year.
Wednesday’s Blues-Bruins Stanley Cup Final Game 2 earned a 2.6 overnight rating on NBCSN, down 7% from Capitals-Golden Knights last year (2.8), but up a tick from Predators-Penguins in 2017 (2.5).
The 2.6 overnight is the second-highest for any Stanley Cup Final game on cable since 2015. Last year’s Game 2 holds the top spot.
Overnights declined 30% from Monday’s Game 1 on the NBC broadcast network (3.7), tied with 2016 as the biggest drop from Game 1 to Game 2 since 2013 (41%). Last year, Game 2 overnights fell 24% from the opener.
Boston led all markets Wednesday night with a 22.9 rating, up 2% from Bruins-Blackhawks in 2013 (22.5) and up 5% from Bruins-Canucks in 2011 (21.9). The 2011 game aired on the NBC broadcast network.
St. Louis ranked second at a 22.0, the market’s highest rating ever for an NHL game on NBCSN. The previous high was 20.6 for the Bruins’ Western Conference Final clincher over San Jose.
Bruins secondary market Providence was third at a 15.4, with Buffalo fourth at a 7.1 and Pittsburgh rounding out the top five (4.0). Notably, ratings in Buffalo declined 12% from last year (8.1) and ratings in Pittsburgh fell a whopping 44% (from 7.1).
