From Sports Media Watch, a one-stop page for all sports ratings news.
Jon Lewis
Sunday’s Stars-Oilers NHL Western Conference Final Game 3 averaged 1.71 million viewers on ABC, down 3% from the same matchup on TNT Sports last year, which aired in primetime (1.76M). Compared to last year’s comparable conference final window on ABC, viewership fell 30% from Rangers-Panthers Game 3 (2.46M).
Game 4 on Tuesday night drew 1.52 million on ESPN, down 17% from the same matchup a year ago on TNT and truTV (1.82M). Compared to last year’s Rangers-Panthers Game 4 on ESPN, viewership fell 27% from 2.07 million.
Source: ESPN
Jon Lewis
Games 3, 4 and 5 of the Hurricanes’ second round Stanley Cup series victory over the Capitals averaged 1.33, 1.25 and 1.50 million viewers respectively on TNT Sports — down 24, 32 and 21 percent respectively from last year’s equivalent windows, Games 4-6 of Hurricanes-Rangers (1.76, 1.83 and 1.91 million).
In the other Eastern series, Games 3, 4 and 5 of Panthers-Maple Leafs averaged 1.16, 1.53 and 1.09 million — down 25, 30 and 30 percent respectively from last year’s equivalent windows, Games 3 and 4 of Panthers-Bruins (1.54 and 2.18 million) and Game 5 of Avalanche-Stars (1.56M). Games 3 and 4 aired on TNT Sports and Game 5 on ESPN.
Complete figures for the Western series were not immediately available. The Oilers’ series-clinching Game 5 win over the Golden Knights drew 1.05 million on ESPN Wednesday, with Game 3 at 1.02 million on TNT and truTV last Saturday (-34%).
Games 2-4 of Jets-Stars drew 911,000, 1.01 million and 1.15 million. Compared to the all-Canadian Canucks-Oilers series on the same nights last year, viewership increased 18, 9 and 16 percent respectively.
Source: ESPN, Programming Insider, Programming Insider, Programming Insider, Programming Insider
Jon Lewis
Wednesday’s Stars-Jets second round Stanley Cup playoff Game 1 averaged 1.1 million viewers for ESPN, up 22% from the all-Canadian Oilers-Canucks last year (902K) — marking a rare year-over-year increase for this year’s postseason.
Earlier in the night, Panthers-Maple Leafs averaged 1.0 million — down 43% from the all-American Bruins-Panthers a year ago (1.8M).
As for the lone all-American series in this year’s second round, Hurricanes-Capitals Game 2 averaged 1.4 million on Thursday night — down 20% from Rangers-Hurricanes on TNT and truTV last year (1.75M). The Oilers-Golden Knights nightcap followed with 973,000, down 22% from Avalanche-Stars a year ago (1.24M).
The second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs has averaged 1.14 million viewers through Thursday, down 32% from last year. The full postseason has averaged 817,000 on the ESPN networks, down 30%.
Source: ESPN
Jon Lewis
Tuesday’s Hurricanes-Capitals second round Stanley Cup playoff Game 2 averaged 1.3 million viewers on ESPN, down 31% from Hurricanes-Rangers in the same year-ago window (1.93M). The Oilers-Golden Knights nightcap drew 909,000, down 20% from last year’s Avalanche-Stars game (1.14M).
On Monday, Panthers-Maple Leafs Game 1 averaged 1.1 million — down 39% from Bruins-Panthers last year (1.85M).
Second round Stanley Cup playoff games have averaged 1.15 million viewers on ESPN through two nights (three games), down 37% from a year ago. The full Stanley Cup Playoffs is averaging 770,000 on the ESPN networks, down a third from the same point last year.
Source: ESPN
Jon Lewis
Sunday’s Blues-Jets first round Stanley Cup playoff Game 7 averaged 1.6 million viewers on TBS, the most-watched game of the postseason on TNT Sports and second most-watched across all networks (Avalanche-Stars Game 7 had 2.4 million on ABC the prior night).
Viewership declined from last year’s Sunday night Game 7 on the TNT networks, Golden Knights-Stars on TNT and truTV (1.99M). Keep in mind the game aired directly opposite an NBA doubleheader on TNT — including a Warriors-Rockets Game 7 — while last year’s game faced no such competition.
Source: TNT Sports
Jon Lewis
Monday’s Lightning-Panthers first round Stanley Cup playoff game averaged 1.1 million viewers on ESPN, down 10% from the same matchup last year (1.2M) but still the largest audience of the playoffs across all networks.
Later in the night, Avalanche-Stars drew 924,000 — down 7% from Stars-Golden Knights a year ago.
So far this postseason, Stanley Cup playoff games have averaged 652,000 on the ESPN networks — down 24% from last year.
Source: ESPN
Jon Lewis
Saturday’s Maple Leafs-Senators first round Stanley Cup playoff Game 4 averaged 996,000 viewers on TBS and truTV, marking the largest audience for an all-Canadian first round game since 1994, but unsurprisingly down from Bruins-Maple Leafs last year (1.39M).
Stars-Avalanche followed with 976,000, up 20% from Stars-Golden Knights a year ago (812K). Additional weekend figures were not immediately available.
TNT Sports is averaging 648,000 viewers for first round Stanley Cup coverage thus far, down 17% from 2024. With traditional big market teams absent, this number of TV homes represented in this year’s playoff field is down 22% from a year ago.
Source: TNT Sports, Programming Insider
Jon Lewis
Thursday’s Maple Leafs-Senators first round Stanley Cup playoff Game 3 averaged 324,000 viewers on ESPN2, down 26% from Hurricanes-Rangers last year (435K). Jets-Blues Game 3 followed with 285,000. Both games aired opposite the NFL Draft and competing playoff games on TBS.
The ESPN networks were averaging 606,000 viewers for first round coverage through Thursday, down 27% from last year.
Source: ESPN
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