Your Announcers and Open Thread For Day 11 of the 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs

Nashville vs. Chicago, Game 5 (Series Tied 2-2), 3:00 PM ET

National TV (US): NBC (HD)
Play by Play: Mike Emrick
Color: Eddie Olczyk
Inside the Glass: Pierre McGuire

National TV (US): TSN (HD)

Pittsburgh vs. Ottawa, Game 6 (PIT Leads 3-2), 7:00 PM ET

National TV (Canada): CBC (HD)
Play by Play: Bob Cole
Color: Gary Galley
Inside the Glass: Glenn Healy
Reporter: Elliot Friedman

National TV (US): VERSUS (HD)
Play by Play: John Forslund
Color: Darren Eliot
Reporter: Charissa Thompson

Regional TV (Pittsburgh): FS Pittsburgh (HD)
Play by Play: Paul Steigerwald
Color: Bob Errey
Reporter: Dan Potash

San Jose vs. Colorado, Game 6 (SJ Leads 3-2), 10:00 PM ET

National TV (US): VERSUS (HD)

National TV (Canada): CBC (HD)

Regional TV (San Jose): CSN California (HD)
Play by Play: Randy Hahn
Color: Drew Remenda
Reporter: Brodie Brazil

Regional TV (Colorado): Altitude (HD)
Play by Play: Mike Haynes
Color: Peter McNab
Reporter: Kyle Keefe

More Recent VERSUS Playoff Audiences

Wednesday, April 21

7:00 Buffalo vs. Boston, Game 4: 642,000
10:43 Vancouver vs. Los Angeles, Game 4: 430,000

Thursday, April 22
7:00 Ottawa vs. Pittsburgh, Game 5: 739,000

VERSUS Draws Best First Round Audience Ever vs. NFL Draft

According to pifeedback.com, the NHL On VERSUS scored 739,000 viewers for Game 5 of the Senators-Penguins series, a triple-OT thriler, last night.  That breaks the record set by Game 2 of the Canadiens-Capitals series from Saturday, which drew 731,000 viewers.  This was all up against the NFL Draft and NBA Playoffs, which dominated cable.

Your Announcers and Open Thread For Night 10 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs

Montreal vs. Washington, Game 5 (WSH Leads 3-1), 7:00 PM ET

National TV (US): VERSUS (HD)
Play by Play: Sam Rosen
Color: Joe Micheletti
Reporter: Bob Harwood

National TV (Canada): TSN (HD)
Play by Play: Gord Miller
Inside the Glass: Pierre McGuire

Regional TV (Washington): CSN Mid-Atlantic
Play by Play: Joe Beninati
Color: Craig Laughlin
Reporter: Al Koken

Boston vs. Buffalo, Game 5 (BOS Leads 3-1), 7:00 PM ET

National TV (Canada): CBC (HD)
Play by Play: Dean Brown
Color: Greg Millen
Reporter: Cassie Campbell

Regional TV (Boston): NESN (HD)
Play by Play: Jack Edwards
Color: Andy Brickley
Reporter: Naoko Funayama

Regional TV (Buffalo): MSG (HD)
Play by Play: Rick Jeanneret
Color: Harry Neale
Inside the Glass: Rob Ray

Los Angeles vs. Vancouver, Game 5 (Series Tied 2-2), 10:00 PM ET

National TV (Canada): CBC (HD)
Play by Play: Jim Hughson
Color: Craig Simpson
Reporter: Scott Oake

Regional TV (Los Angeles): FS West (HD)
Play by Play: Bob Miller
Color: Jim Fox
Reporter: Heidi Androl

Detroit vs. Phoenix, Game 5 (Series Tied 2-2), 10:00 PM ET

National TV (US): VERSUS (HD)
Play by Play: Rick Peckham
Color: Daryl Reaugh
Reporter: Lindsay Soto

National TV (Canada): TSN (HD)

Regional TV (Detroit): FS Detroit (HD)
Play by Play: Ken Daniels
Color: Mickey Redmond
Reporter: Trevor Thompson

Regional TV (Phoenix): FS Arizona (HD)
Play by Play: Dave Strader
Color: Tyson Nash
Reporter: Todd Walsh

NBC Promotes Weekend Hockey Coverage

NEW YORK – April 22, 2010 – The Detroit Red Wings-Phoenix Coyotes Western Conference Quarter-Final series can be decided this Sunday at 2 p.m. ET on NBC Sports when the two teams face off in Game 6. NBC Sports’ second weekend of NHL playoff coverage begins at 3 p.m. ET this Saturday when the Chicago Blackhawks host the Nashville Predators in Game 5 of their series.

Mike “Doc” Emrick (play-by-play), who is nominated for a 2010 Sports Emmy Award, Eddie Olczyk (analyst) and Pierre McGuire (inside-the-glass reporter) call the action for both games. McGuire will pull double duty, hosting NBC’s studio show alongside analyst Mike Milbury.

The Coyotes host the Red Wings in Game 5 of their 2-2 series Friday night. The winner will have a chance to clinch the series on NBC Sports on Sunday.

MCGUIRE: “This is an old fashioned hockey series. It’s been a lot more physical than people thought. Both teams are extremely well coached. Detroit’s stars have not shied away from the physicality. Phoenix is playing like a really cohesive, tight unit. They play for one another and listen to their coach. They are showing surprising playoff composure.”

EMRICK: “This is America’s team against the Cinderella team of the year. It will be an incredible return if Phoenix’s Shane Doan can come back from his injury. He’s the team’s inspirational leader, but the rest of the Coyotes showed what they could do without him. And we’ll have to see if that professionalism the Red Wings are know for and that we all admire pays off.”

The Predators currently lead their series, 2-1, over the Blackhawks. The teams play Game 4 tonight in Nashville. If the Predators win and take a 3-1 lead, they will be able to clinch the series with a victory over the Blackhawks on Saturday.

MCGUIRE: “The speed of Nashville has surprised Chicago. The goaltending of Pekka Rinne has been a major story, and that’s combined with Nashville’s defensemen taking a lot of the offensive thrust out of Chicago’s game. The Blackhawks need more energy and thump and passion. They’re not playing on the edge like they were earlier in the year.”

EMRICK: “We certainly know that Finland is going to be well taken care of in goal in the next Olympics with these two great goaltenders. Similar to Phoenix last week, it will be good for the country to see Nashville. They’ve earned it. It’s unfair to say that this is David vs. Goliath. But the Predators are definitely on a mission.”

FIRST WEEKEND RECAP: Viewership for NBC Sports’ first weekend of NHL playoff coverage was up five percent compared to the comparable weekend in 2009. Boston-Buffalo and Detroit-Phoenix averaged 1.74 million viewers, up from 1.66 million for New York Rangers-Washington and Philadelphia-Pittsburgh in 2009.

“It’s hard to find any network right now that covers a sport better than NBC covers hockey.” – St. Petersburg Times (4-19-10) after NBC Sports’ first weekend of NHL playoff coverage.

NBCSPORTS.COM: NBCSports.com’s “Star-cam” continues in the playoffs. “Star-cam” tracks a player(s) from both teams throughout each of their shifts. Following the game, NBCSports.com will present bonus material, including “Star-cam” and “Net-cam” and bonus analysis from NBC Sports commentators.

Viewership For the First Seven Nights of the Stanley Cup Playoffs on VERSUS

(This is a find, for sure.  Thanks to Pifeedback.com for the numbers.  Sports Media Watch has them ranked in Top 10 form, but I’ll do them night-by-night.  All times listed are ET)

Wednesday, April 14th
7:00 Ottawa vs. Pittsburgh, Game 1: 471,000
10:00 Detroit vs. Phoenix, Game 1: 515,000

Thursday, April 15th
7:00  Washington vs. Montreal, Game 1: 562,000
10:14 Vancouver vs. Los Angeles, Game 1: 444,000

Friday, April 16th
7:00 Pittsburgh vs. Ottawa, Game 2: 681,000
9:34 Chicago vs. Nashville, Game 1: 621,000
11:00 Detroit vs. Phoenix, Game 2: 532,000
12:48 San Jose vs. Colorado, Game 2: 450,000

Saturday, April 17th
7:00 Washington vs. Montreal, Game 2: 731,000
10:04 Los Angeles vs. Vancouver, Game 2: 409,000

Sunday, April 18th
6:30 Ottawa vs. Pittsburgh, Game 3: 662,000
9:13 Chicago vs. Nashville, Game 2: 524,000
11:14 Colorado vs. San Jose, Game 3: 370,000

Monday, April 19th
7:00 Boston vs. Buffalo, Game 3: 605,000

Tuesday, April 20th
7:30 Ottawa vs. Pittsburgh, Game 4: 507,000
9:56 Nashville vs. Chicago, Game 3: 445,000

(NOTE: Viewership was unavailable for LA-Vancouver Game 3 and Colorado-San Jose Game 4)

More NHL Gloating

NEW YORK (April 22, 2010) – The 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs continues its strong start with double-digit ratings increases for its national telecasts on both NBC and VERSUS, along with triple-digit increases to video starts on NHL.com and page views on NHL Mobile, further validating the NHL’s strategy of engaging its fans through the creation of an ever expanding hockey marketplace with multiple touch points.

These gains come on the heels of the announcement that the first week of the Playoffs on VERSUS were the highest-rated and most-watched on cable since the 2002 Stanley Cup Playoffs on ESPN/ESPN2. And the NHL’s broadcast partners in Canada – CBC, TSN and RDS — have all seen significant ratings increases for the postseason, as have the vast majority of the U.S. regional sports networks.

“This growth is a product of the passion of NHL fans and their insatiable appetite for great hockey content, fueled by our strategy of engaging with fans in ways we haven’t before, especially through our digital platforms and big events,”  said NHL COO John Collins.

Notably, the NHL has been a trailblazer in providing its loyal fans with new ways to access its content via multiple digital platforms as highlighted by two recent announcements. NHL.com yesterday unveiled a new Facebook integration that takes advantage of popular Facebook features to make NHL.com more open, interactive and shareable. NHL.com was also one of the featured launch websites for Apple’s iPad.

NBC UP 10 PERCENT OVER FIRST WEEKEND OF 2009 PLAYOFFS
The Stanley Cup Playoffs on NBC showed a 10 percent increase for its first weekend broadcasts, earning a 1.1 national rating and 3 share for its Saturday and Sunday games (1.0/3 – 2009). The two-game average is the best opening Playoffs weekend for the Peacock since 2006. Saturday’s Boston-Buffalo game earned a 1.0/3, up 43 percent over 2009. Sunday’s Phoenix-Detroit matchup earned a 1.3/3, even with last year.

STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS ON TSN AND CBC POSTING “BOFFO NUMBERS”
TSN and CBC are posting “boffo numbers in these playoffs – without Toronto in the
hunt,” according to the The Globe & Mail. The Stanley Cup Playoffs on TSN have averaged 945,000 viewers for 12 telecasts through April 20, a 103 percent increase over last year to date (465,000 viewers). Meanwhile, CBC is averaging 1.23 million for its 14 broadcasts through games of April 20, a 17 percent increase over last season (1.05 million).

NHL ON RDS UP 3%
Playoffs-to-date, RDS is averaging 459,000 viewers through 17 telecasts.  That’s up 3% from the 447,000 viewers that the network was averaging last season-to-date.

DIGITAL STRATEGY PAYS DIVIDENDS
The NHL is engaging and connecting with more fans than ever on its digital platforms
and the first week of the 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs has continued that trend. Some highlights from the first eight days of the postseason compared to the same time period last year include:

· Video starts on NHL.com increased by 128 percent
· Unique Visitors to NHL.com are up 20 percent
· Page Views on NHL.com are up 40 percent
· Mobile page views are up 181 percent

HIGHLIGHTS FROM NHL’S RECORD-BREAKING BUSINESS SUCCESS IN 2009-10
· Corporate sponsorship were up 20 percentNew League partners this season include Geico, Starwood Hotels, Enterprise Rent-A-Car,LG Electronics and Hershey’s CanadaAd spending on NHL media increased by 37 percent
· Revenue from big event platforms, led by the Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic®, were up
22 percent over last season
· Unique visitors to NHL.com surpassed last year’s record by 32 percent
· NHL.com attracted a single-day record 1.6 million unique visitors on Sunday, April 11 – besting last season’s regular season final day by 54 percent
· NHL Game Center Live™ subscriptions were up 25 percent
· Sales at SHOP.NHL.com were up 12 percent from last year’s record
· Viewership for NBC’s Game of the Week telecasts were up 13 percent
· Ratings for exclusive telecasts on Versus were up 20 percent
· NHL Mobile™ reached 1.6 million page views, an increase of 233 percent over last season

Your Announcers and Open Thread For Night Nine of the 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs

Philadelphia vs. New Jersey, Game 5 (PHI Leads 3-1), 7:00 PM ET

National TV (Canada): TSN (HD)
Play by Play: Chris Cuthbert
Color: Ray Ferraro

Regional TV (Philadelphia): CSN Philadelphia (HD)
Play by Play: Jim Jackson
Color: Bill Clement
Reporter: Steve Coates

Regional TV (New Jersey): MSG Plus (HD)
Play by Play: Mike Emrick
Color: Chico Resch
Reporters: Steve Cangialosi and Stan Fischler

Ottawa vs. Pittsburgh, Game 5 (PIT Leads 3-1), 7:00 PM

National TV (US): VERSUS (HD)
Play by Play: John Forslund
Color: Darren Eliot
Reporter: Charissa Thompson

National TV (Canada): CBC (HD)
Play by Play: Bob Cole
Color: Gary Galley
Inside the Glass: Glenn Healy
Reporter: Elliot Friedman

Chicago vs. Nashville, Game 4 (NSH Leads 2-1), 8:30 PM ET

National TV (Canada): TSN 2 (HD)

Regional TV (Chicago): CSN Chicago (HD)
Play by Play: Pat Foley
Color: Eddie Olczyk
Reporter: Sarah Kustok

Regional TV (Nashville): FS Tennessee (HD)
Play by Play: Pete Weber
Color: Terry Crisp

Colorado vs. San Jose, Game 5 (Series Tied 2-2), 10:30 PM ET

National TV (Canada): CBC (HD)
Play by Play: Mark Lee
Color: Kevin Weekes

Regional TV (Colorado): Altitude (HD)
Play by Play: Mike Haynes
Color: Peter McNab
Reporter: Kyle Keefe

Regional TV (San Jose): CSN California (HD)
Play by Play: Randy Hahn
Color: Drew Remenda
Reporter: Brodie Brazil

Capitals Playoff Ratings Continue to Be… Well, You Know

CAPITALS PLAYOFFS ON COMCAST SPORTSNET RATINGS NOTES:

• Game 4 of the Capitals first-round playoff series against Montreal on April 21 delivered a 5.3 average household rating in the Washington television market, which is equivalent to approximately 125,000 households, the highest rating of the postseason. Combined with the 1.8 average household rating earned in the Baltimore market, the game drew an average combined audience of approximately 147,000 households.

• After four first-round games, Comcast SportsNet’s coverage of the Capitals playoffs has earned a 5.0 average household rating in Washington, which is an increase of 79 percent compared to the first four games of last season’s playoff coverage on the network. In the Baltimore market, the first four games have seen an increase in average household viewership of more than 42 percent compared to last season. For the series, Comcast SportsNet has delivered a combined average audience of approximately 144,000 households in the Washington and Baltimore markets.

• Four of the ten highest-rated Capitals playoff games in Comcast SportsNet history have been the first four games of this year’s first-round match-up versus Montreal. Game 4 tied for the second-highest rated Capitals playoff game in network history and the highest rated non-Game 7.

• CSNwashington.com’s coverage of the Capitals has also earned increased viewers since the beginning of the 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Since Game 1 (April 15) of the first-round series against the Canadiens, the site has earned an increase of more than 36 percent in unique visitors, with overall visitors and page-views up more than 24 percent and 20 percent, respectively, compared the previous week (April 7 to 14). Compared to the same time-period last year, the network’s website has generated a 251 percent growth in unique visitors and a 180 percent jump in page-views.

• During the 2009-10 NHL regular season, the Capitals delivered their highest-rated season in Comcast SportsNet history and their third consecutive season of double-digit ratings growth on the network, earning a 1.6 average household rating in the Washington market, which is equal to approximately 37,000 households. Combined with the Baltimore DMA, the Capitals attracted an average audience of approximately 45,000 households this season. Since 2006-07, Capitals ratings on Comcast SportsNet have increased more than 300 percent, the largest increase of any NHL team during that span.

CAPITALS 2010 PLAYOFFS – ROUND ONE (MTL)

Game                  WSH HH              PEAK              M 25-54             A 25-54          BAL HH             PEAK

Game 1                     5.1                    7.4                   5.9                    4.1                  2.1                  3.2

Game 2                     4.4                    6.1                   4.7                    3.4                  2.3                  3.2

Game 3                     5.1                    6.4                   5.3                    4.3                  1.7                  2.9

Game 4                     5.3                    7.0                   6.2                    4.4                  1.8                  2.7

AVG.                        5.0                      -                     5.5                    4.1                  2.0                    -

2009 ROUND ONE (NYR)                                   2008 ROUND ONE (PHI)

Game*                WSH HH                                Game*              WSH HH

Game 1                    3.3                                     Game 1                  2.3

Game 2                    2.6                                     Game 2                  2.6

Game 3                    2.8                                     Game 3                  3.3

Game 4                    2.3                                     Game 4                  3.8

AVG.                       2.8                                     AVG.                     3.0

*First Four Games on Comcast SportsNet

HIGHEST-RATED CAPITALS PLAYOFF GAMES ON COMCAST SPORTSNET (WSH DMA):

1.)        5.5        MAY 13, 2009               GAME 7 VS. PIT           EASTERN CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS

2.)        5.3        APRIL 21, 2010             GAME 4 VS. MTL          EASTERN CONFERENCE QUARTERFINALS

5.3        MAY 11, 2009               GAME 6 VS. PIT           EASTERN CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS

5.3        APRIL 22, 2008             GAME 7 VS. PHI           EASTERN CONFERENCE QUARTERFINALS

6.)        5.1        APRIL 19, 2010             GAME 3 VS. MTL          EASTERN CONFERENCE QUARTERFINALS

5.1        APRIL 15, 2010             GAME 1 VS. MTL          EASTERN CONFERENCE QUARTERFINALS

8.)        4.7        MAY 9, 2009                 GAME 5 VS. PIT           EASTERN CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS

9.)        4.4        APRIL 17, 2010             GAME 2 VS. MTL          EASTERN CONFERENCE QUARTERFINALS

10.)       4.0        APRIL 28, 2009             GAME 7 VS. NYR         EASTERN CONFERENCE QUARTERFINALS

More VERSUS Playoff Viewership Numbers

From Anthony Crupi of Mediaweek:

Meanwhile, in other playoff news, Versus scored with the first five games of its NHL postseason coverage, as the Comcast-owned net averaged 543,000 total viewers, up 22 percent from last year (447,000).

Versus’ deliveries were the highest for a cable network since the first five games of the 2002 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Moreover, the net is seeing improvement among the key male demos, including men 25-54 (up 18 percent), men 18-49 (up 8 percent) and men 18-34 (up 6 percent).

Thus far, Versus’ biggest draw has been Game 2 of the Canadiens-Capitals series, which drew 731,000 viewers Saturday night. The game surpassed the previous high set by Game 7 of a Flyers-Caps set that drew 682,000 viewers on April 22, 2008.