Part one of the NHL restart did well in the ratings, at least by regular season standards.
The NHL Stanley Cup qualification round averaged 553,000 viewers across NBC Sports’ TV and digital platforms, a 39% increase over the league’s pre-hiatus average of 398,000. Combined, the traditional regular season and qualification round averaged 438,000 viewers, up 3% from last year (413K) and the highest regular season average in three years.
By postseason standards, the numbers were not nearly as impressive. Last year’s opening round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs averaged 778,000 viewers. Keep in mind that all of NBCSN’s qualification round games were blacked out in the home markets, while its traditional playoff games co-exist with local RSN coverage. In addition, a significant number of qualification round games aired on weekday afternoons.
Sunday’s Blue Jackets-Maple Leafs Game 5 averaged a 0.39 rating and 646,000 viewers on NBCSN, marking the third-largest audience of the season on cable. Only a Blues-Avalanche round robin game (655K) and Capitals-Blues on Opening Night back in October (724K) averaged more viewers.
Nine of the 13 most-watched games this season came since the resumption of play August 1.
Ratings and viewership paled in comparison to a typical winner-take-all playoff game. NBCSN aired three first round game sevens last year, averaging a 1.0 and 1.64 million for Hurricanes-Capitals, a 0.8 and 1.30 million for Maple Leafs-Bruins and a 0.7 and 1.07 million for Golden Knights-Sharks. Again, keep in mind that those broadcasts were not blacked out in local markets.
In other weekend action, the NBC broadcast network averaged a 0.8 and 1.20 million for a Flyers-Lightning round robin game Saturday night — the fourth-largest audience of the season behind the Winter Classic (Stars-Predators: 1.96M), Game 1 of the Canadiens-Penguins qualification series (1.50M) and a Flyers-Bruins round robin game (1.42M).
NBC also pulled a 0.56 and 863,000 for Stars-Blues on Sunday and a 0.55 and 841,000 for Golden Knights-Avalanche on Saturday. The latter was NBC’s least-watched game all season, falling below the previous mark of 848,000 for Red Wings-Penguins in February.
Bringing up the rear, NBCSN averaged a 0.28 and 401,000 for Bruins-Capitals Sunday afternoon.
Shifting to Friday’s six-game slate, Oilers-Blackhawks Game 4 led the way with a 0.35 and 570,000 on NBCSN, followed by a 0.34 and 552,000 for abbreviated coverage of Maple Leafs-Blue Jackets Game 4. Penguins-Canadiens Game 4 pulled a 0.31 and 463,000, the top weekday afternoon game thus far.
[Nielsen estimates from ShowBuzz Daily 8.11, NBC Sports PR 8.11]
