NHL ratings

Kings-Devils Marks Lowest Stanley Cup Final Audience Since Ducks-Senators In '07

Published June 13, 2012

NBC and NBC Sports Network combined to average a 1.8 U.S. rating and 3.0 million viewers for the six games of the Kings-Devils NHL Stanley Cup Final, marking the lowest audience for a Cup Final since Ducks-Senators in ’07 averaged a 1.2 rating and 1.8 million viewers over five games. Kings-Devils is also down 33% from a 2.7 rating (4.6 million viewers) for the seven-game Bruins-Canucks series. The series-clinching Game Six on Monday night drew a 3.1 rating (4.9 million viewers), down slightly from a 3.2 rating (5.5 million viewers) for the comparable Bruins-Canucks Game Six last year. Game Six drew a 13.6 local rating in L.A., which is the best rating for any NHL game in the market on record (dating back to ’76). That figure surpassed a 10.0 rating for the Ducks-Devils Stanley Cup Final Game Seven in ’03. The game also earned a 5.0 local rating in N.Y. (Austin Karp, THE DAILY).

THE GOOD & THE BAD: MARKETWATCH’s Russ Britt noted the “bad news” for NBC’s Game Six telecast was that it was “fourth worst when compared with the 12 other prime-time shows that were broadcast on Monday among all age groups.” The “good news is that the telecast managed the fourth-best average viewership of 2.5 million among the highly desirable" adults 18-49 demos (MARKETWATCH.com, 6/12).

NHL STANLEY CUP FINAL AUDIENCE TREND (NBC/NBC SPORTS NETWORK)
YEAR	MATCHUP	GAMES	RATING	VIEWERS (000)
'12	Kings-Devils	6	1.8	3,000
'11	Bruins-Canucks	7	2.7	4,590
'10	Blackhawks-Flyers	6	2.9	5,170
'09	Penguins-Red Wings	7	2.7	4,906
'08	Red Wings-Penguins	6	2.6	4,555
'07	Ducks-Senators	5	1.2	1,800

COMPLETE LOOK: For the entire Stanley Cup Playoffs across NBC, NBC Sports Network and CNBC, the NHL averaged a 0.8 U.S. rating and 1.2 million viewers for 81 telecasts. Last year, 76 telecasts across NBC and NBCSN averaged a 0.8 rating and 1.4 million viewers. However, excluding games placed on CNBC this year, NBC and NBC Sports Network averaged a 0.9 rating and 1.4 million viewers, up 7% and 3%, respectively, from last season. NBC Sports Network alone averaged 1.0 million viewers, marking the best audience for a single cable net since ESPN averaged 1.3 million viewers during the '02 playoffs. NBC's 16 telecasts this postseason saw a 16% drop in ratings and a 21% drop in viewership compared to the '11 playoffs (Karp).