Game 7 Overnights: Bruins Victory Ties Best Game 7 Rating on Record
June 16, 2011 16 Comments
NEW YORK – June 16, 2011 – Game 7 of the 2011 Stanley Cup Final, which saw the Boston Bruins defeat the Vancouver Canucks, 4-0, to claim their first championship since 1972, generated a 5.7/10 overnight rating, tying 2003 for the best NHL Stanley Cup Game 7 overnight on record, according to overnight data released today by The Nielsen Company. The overnight was up 14 percent compared to the most recent Game 7 in 2009, which featured two U.S. teams, the Pittsburgh Penguins and Detroit Red Wings.
NBC Sports Group surrounded the Stanley Cup with pre- and postgame coverage on VERSUS, regional coverage on Comcast SportsNet New England and robust digital coverage on the integrated NBCSports.com.
Last night’s Game 7 registered a 5.7 overnight rating and a 10 share, tying 2003 (Anaheim-New Jersey) for the best Game 7 overnight on record.
Last night’s game was up 14 percent from the 2009 Stanley Cup Game 7 (Pittsburgh-Detroit, 5.0/10).
The 5.7 overnight for Game 7 ties for the second-best Stanley Cup overnight rating in 37 years, behind only last year’s Chicago-Philadelphia Game 6 which registered a 5.8/10 overnight (5/19/74 Boston-Philadelphia Gm 6, 7.6/27 on NBC).
Highest Stanley Cup overnight rating for a game featuring a Canadian team in 38 years.
STANLEY CUP FINAL GAME 7 OVERNIGHT RATINGS (SINCE 1995):
T1. 6/15/11, Boston-Vancouver, 5.7/10 – Last Night’s Game
T1. 6/9/03, Anaheim-New Jersey, 5.7/9
3. 6/9/01, New Jersey-Colorado, 5.5/11
4. 6/7/04, Calgary-Tampa Bay, 5.3/8
5. 6/12/09, Pittsburgh-Detroit, 5.0/10
6. 6/19/06, Edmonton-Carolina, 4.1/7
BOSTON SETS RECORDS: The Boston market earned a 43.4 rating and a 64 share, the best overnight on record for a hockey game in Boston (dating back to 1991) and the best overnight in the Boston market featuring a Boston team in any major sports championship since Super Bowl XLII (Patriots-Giants, 55.6 on 2/3/08).
Boston’s seven-game average for the Stanley Cup Final (five games on NBC, two games on VERSUS) was a 28.1/44, 12 percent higher than ABC’s seven-game Boston average for last year’s NBA Finals (25.0/40 for Boston-LA Lakers).
TOP MARKETS FOR 2011 STANLEY CUP FINAL GAME 7:
1. Boston, 43.4/64
2. Providence, 25.9/38
3. Buffalo, 10.6/17
T4. Detroit, 8.7/14
T4. Hartford, 8.7/13
6. Pittsburgh, 7.6/12
7. Denver, 7.2/14
T8. Minneapolis, 6.7/12
T8. Las Vegas, 6.7/11
10. St. Louis, 6.2/10
Puck The Media 
This is great news for the NHL and NBC they must be giving a few high fives. Imagine if this was a Detroit vs Boston final? All time ratings records. This is a great sign for the NHL to find out now even if there is a Canadian team and a American you can still get some respectable ratings and not be embarrassed. Momentum will carry through. Now Vancouver if they comeback next now people know who they’re so there might be some staying power.
Also, Las Vegas again? I know there are snowbirds down there but this is crazy….lol Right on Vegas!
Canucks won’t be back..I expect Detroit or Chicago next year vs Boston of course….huge numbers when that happens
If this was Chicago oh man I don’t want to imagine.
I bet ESPN is kicking themselves for screwing the NHL over years back. I mean college baseball and softball just doen’t cut it……
ESPN doesn’t need the NHL, and that’s not a slight towards the NHL. Did any of you see the numbers the NBA playoffs did on ESPN? I’m sure they’re content.
Happy to see game 7 do so well considering a Canadian team was involved. Hopefully some of bigger markets in the Western Conference like LA, Colorado, St. Louis, Minnesota and Dallas start doing better in the playoffs…will help the ratings.
Haha they do I don’t care what they say. Going forward especially with Detroit, Chicago, Boston, New York, the flyers big markets that are doing great and with all of the young stars in these cities. Absolutely, I’m surprised they didn’t try and get some games for espn 2 at least even if Comcast had the majority. NHL can maybe capatilize a little if the NBA goes into the their half year lockout/strike. Your telling me espn wouldn’t want some decent programming to fill their spots? Let’s not hop Gary and Donald Fehr don’t blow this thing up for the NHL.
They don’t need them but, as a business going forward with a product that is growing. ESPN like to be in control of everything. That’s what makes them the big honcho.
I wish the NHL and ESPN along with Comcast could’ve had a three-way partnership would’ve been great all around.
Has anybody watched ESPN lately…they have about 20 channels and all I see is college baseball and cheerleading…The NHL will make them more money than those sports ever will. They definitely wanted the NHL back but wanted to lowball Bettman so they could throw the games on ESPN3 or something and put the Final on ESPN probably..I’m glad Bettman told them to screw.. NBC and Versus will give the sport way more exposure. ESPN has their idiotic top 10 every nite and Game 7 was like #5 behind a baseball game and a bunch of other pointless events. They only mention events they own the rights. They are shameless in their marketing of products…I mean the WNBA??? Are they serious…no one will ever wath that unless you pay them to
Not to defend ESPN, but Versus does the same thing. When Versus had the Daily Line, it was huge on their own sports. And when the Versus website was around, it also focused on their own sports. And I am sure in the future, Versus will show more highlights of hockey than is warranted by the sports popularity, simply because they carry the NHL. Its called business, and they make money by promoting their own properties. If you owned a sports network, would you promote your own sports, or your competitors?
What would you like ESPN to show In the summer? Do you think the Versus schedule is any better over the next few months? ESPN is jam packed during the winter and fall which is why they didn’t make a strong offer for the NHL. The summer months are weak for sports.
I don’t watch espn as I live in Canada. But, the comcast relationship will give the necessary foundation the NHL has needed. Going forward Comcast will give it the necessary backing it needs. Also, with NBC getting the olympics even better. Now people know Comcast/Versus or NBC is the place to go for hockey.
Plus some of the top local markets show their games regionally on CSN. Chicago, San Jose, Washington, Philadelphia..
“This is great news for the NHL and NBC they must be giving a few high fives. Imagine if this was a Detroit vs Boston final?” Or at least imagine if it was San Jose/Boston. Ratings would have been very good.
If I called myself the “leader in sports programming” I think I would give the 4th major sport in America more than 2 minutes on SportsCenter”….not 20 minutes on why Lebron choked three days ago
Why do people always bring up ESPN? The NHL is not going to be on ESPN for a decade. That issue is done with.
And frankly, with the NHL doing its best ratings EVER (or at least since the 70s), who cares? Versus & NBC give the NHL a much bigger spotlight than ESPN ever could or would.
ESPN spends 20 minutes talking about LeBron because they air the NBA & LeBron draws 20 million. Hockey doesn’t.
The NHL is doing great but due to the nature of the sport (hello ice), it will always be a niche sport in comparison to football, baseball and basketball. And that’s fine. The NHL can grow it but it will never eclipse the NBA, just a fact of life.
Enjoy the good ratings & a wonderful playoffs.