NHL and Non-NHL Market Local Ratings For Games 5 & 6 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs

Game 5

NHL Market Local Ratings Rankings

1. Boston - 25.8/44
2. Buffalo - 7.9/14
3. Detroit - 4.6/8
4. Washington - 4.3/8
5. Pittsburgh - 4.2/7
6. Minnesota/St. Paul - 3.5/7
7. St. Louis - 3.1/6
8. Chicago - 2.9/6
9. Tampa Bay - 2.8/6
10. Nashville - 2.8/5
11. Denver - 2.7/6
12. Columbus - 2.7/5
13. Phoenix - 2.6/5
14. Raleigh-Durham - 2.5/4
15. New York - 2.4/4
16. Philadelphia - 2.2/4
17. San Jose/Oakland/San Francisco - 2.1/5
18. Dallas - 1.6/3
19. Los Angeles - 1.5/3
20. Atlanta - 0.7/1
21. Miami - 0.5/1

Non-NHL Market Local Ratings Rankings

1. Providence – 16.0/26
2. Oklahoma City – 3.9/7
3. Hartford – 3.8/6
4. Las Vegas – 3.3/6
5. West Palm Beach – 3.3/5
6. Richmond – 2.9/5
t7. Orlando – 2.8/5
t7. Ft. Myers – 2.8/5
9. Baltimore – 2.6/5
10. Milwaukee – 2.6/5
11. San Diego – 2.4/5
12. Norfolk – 2.3/4
13. Sacramento – 2.2/5
14. Portland – 2.1/5
15. Indianapolis – 2.1/4
16. Jacksonville – 2.0/3
17. Seattle* – 1.9/5
t18. Cincinnati – 1.9/3
t18. Greenville – 1.9/3
t18. Albuquerque – 1.9/3
t18. Tulsa – 1.9/3
22. Houston – 1.8/3
t23. Greensboro – 1.7/3
t23. Memphis – 1.7/3
24. Salt Lake City – 1.5/4
25. Kansas City – 1.5/3
26. Louisville – 1.5/2
27. Cleveland – 1.4/2
t28. Charlotte – 1.3/2
t28. Birmingham – 1.3/2
t28. New Orleans – 1.3/2
31. Dayton – 1.2/2
32. Knoxville – 1.1/2
33. Austin – 1.0/2
34. San Antonio – 0.6/1

Game 6

NHL Market Local Ratings Rankings

1. Boston – 33.3/49
2. Buffalo – 9.1/14
3. St. Louis – 5.0/8
4. Detroit – 4.7/7
5. Pittsburgh – 4.3/7
6. Minneapolis/St. Paul – 4.2/7
7. Denver – 3.9/7
8. Washington – 3.7/6
9. Tampa Bay – 3.6/6
10. Philadelphia – 3.4/5
11. Raleigh-Durham – 3.3/5
12. Nashville – 3.3/5
13. Chicago – 3.1/5
14. Columbus – 3.1/5
15. New York – 2.8/4
16. San Jose/Oakland/San Francisco – 2.4/6
17. Phoenix – 2.3/4
18. Los Angeles – 2.1/4
19. Dallas – 1.7/3
20. Atlanta – 1.4/2
21. Miami – 1.1/2

Non-NHL Market Local Ratings Rankings

1. Providence – 18.4/28
2. Hartford – 5.8/9
3. Las Vegas – 4.3/7
4. Richmond – 4.3/6
t5. Baltimore – 4.0/6
t5. Norfolk – 4.0/6
7. Portland – 3.4/7
8. Ft. Myers – 3.4/6
9. Jacksonville – 3.3/5
10. West Palm Beach – 3.2/5
11. Greensboro – 3.1/5
12. Oklahoma City – 2.9/4
13. San Diego – 2.6/5
t14. Indianapolis – 2.6/4
t14. Milwaukee – 2.6/4
t14. Greenville – 2.6/4
t17. Orlando – 2.4/4
t17. Albuquerque – 2.4/4
19. Memphis – 2.4/3
20. Sacramento – 2.3/5
21. Kansas City – 2.3/4
22. Seattle* – 2.2/5
23. San Antonio – 2.1/3
24. Salt Lake City – 2.0/4
t25. Austin – 2.0/3
t25. Tulsa – 2.0/3
t27. Knoxville – 1.9/3
t27. Dayton – 1.9/3
29. Cleveland – 1.8/3
30. Cincinnati – 1.6/3
31. New Orleans – 1.5/2
32. Louisville – 1.4/2
33. Birmingham – 1.3/2
t34. Houston – 1.2/2
t34. Charlotte – 1.2/2

Half-Hour Overnight Breakdowns For Game 7

The following are the half-hour by half-hour overnight numbers for Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final. More’s coming.

8:00 p.m. – 4.6/9 (#2)
8:30 p.m. – 5.5/10 (t#1)
9:00 p.m. – 5.4/9 (#1)
9:30 p.m. – 6.6/11 (#1)
10:00 p.m. – 6.3/10 (#1)
10:30 p.m. – 7.1/12 (#1)

Game 7 Overnights: Bruins Victory Ties Best Game 7 Rating on Record

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

Your Announcers and Open Thread for the 47th and Final Night of the 2011 Stanley Cup Playoffs

Boston vs. Vancouver, Game 7, 8:00 p.m. ET

National TV (Canada): CBC
Play by Play: Jim Hughson
Color: Craig Simpson
Inside the Glass: Glenn Healy
Reporters: Scott Oake and Elliotte Friedman

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

Ratings Figures For the Last Four Game 7′s in the United States

2003
Anaheim vs. New Jersey (ABC)
Overnight rating: 5.7/9
Final national rating: 4.6/8
Viewers: 7.2 million

2004
Calgary vs. Tampa Bay (ABC)
Overnight: 5.3/8
National: 4.2/7
Viewers: 6.3 million

2006
Edmonton vs. Carolina (NBC)
Overnight: 4.1/7
National: 3.3/6
Viewers: 5.3 million

2009
Pittsburgh vs. Detroit (NBC)
Overnight: 5.0/10
National: 4.3/8
Viewers: 8.0 million

NOTE: 2003, 2004, 2006 games took place on a Monday, 2009 on a Friday.

Puck the Media’s Predictions For Game 7 in the United States, Canada and Boston

I owe some of my loyal readers a bit of an apology: Puck the Media has gone almost all TV ratings, all the time for the past month or so. Frankly, I’m a little burned out on hockey. I’m gonna’ love Game 7, but after getting no break last summer due to the Kovalchuk saga, I think I’m going to take a bit of a break from all things puck for a month or two once the draft and free agency are finished.

That said, let’s take a look at this Game 7, and the fact that hockey provides the most nerve-wracking, spine-puncturing (sorry, Mason Raymond), sweat-inducing experience of them all when it comes to Game 7′s. I’m nervous right now, and I don’t care who wins. I just get to thinking about how a hockey player even deals with a Game 7. How do you sleep before this? I can barely do so. Do they have satchels full of Xanax at bedside? It’s amazing to me how any hockey player is able to compose themself for any playoff game, but this is particularly true when it comes to a Stanley Cup Final Game 7.

That said, the ratings will likely not set the earth ablaze. It may not even reach the 7.51 million that watched the Penguins defeat the Red Wings in 2009, or the 7.57 million that saw the Blackhawks finish the Flyers in an overtime-Game 6 last season, that matched a 35-year high for the NHL on television. There will be, however, a respectable number that everyone can live with. Two weeks ago, (holy cow, this series has lasted longer than the OJ trial, it feels like) I predicted that a Game 7 would draw an even 7 million viewers. While I think that may have been a little too optimistic, I still believe there’s a chance for it to happen, and I’m sticking with that number.

I’ve been about 500,000 viewers too optimistic on Games 5 & 6, so 6.5 million is likely your safe bet. Either way, for Vancouver and Boston, it’s a terrific showing. It’s a sign that the league has built itself to a point where they don’t need two massive markets to avoid sweating out some embarrassing ratings figures. That people are discussing this series as if it’s a success is a big win for hockey all-around. The fact is, the NHL knew the Canadian ratings would be dynamite, so anything the Americans pull in is a bonus. All that matters is that NBC doesn’t embarrass themselves, and they haven’t. They’ve drawn low numbers on Fridays and Saturdays, which were expected, but solid figures Mondays and Wednesdays.

By the way, just how big can the numbers get in Boston? I’m setting the over under at a 45-rating for this. The Red Sox have a divisional game against Tampa, but once it’s over, it’ll be time for the third period, which I’m betting will draw over a 50 in the Boston market, especially if the Bruins are winning or the game is tied. The one thing we learned the past two weeks, hell, the past two months is that Boston is an A-list hockey market again, no doubt about it. They will provide big ratings for NBC tonight.

Now, as for Canada, this game is going to be an all-time blockbuster. The series has averaged a record-breaking 5.7 million viewers for the CBC. The network is charging $140,000 for every 30-second commercial spot, only falling to the 2010 Olympic Gold Medal Game in terms of cash for ads. I think we’ll see an obscene number for Game 7. I don’t know if it’ll hit 10 million, which would be insanity (considering Canada has about 35 million people, that’d be similar to the 100 million that watch the Super Bowl here). I’d bet a lot on the audiences for the third period giving CBC an average of 9 million viewers. If we go to overtime and/or the Canucks raise Lord Stanley’s Cup, I think we’ll see that 10 million.

Wouldn’t it be cool to know that 15-16 million people watched a hockey game? It’d be a uniting experience for NHL fans across both countries, much like the last time Vancouver played for a Stanley Cup Final. Enjoy the game tonight, and hopefully enjoy reading some good ratings news in this space tomorrow.

Game 1
NBC: 4.56 million
CBC: 5.6 million

Game 2
NBC: 3.56 million
CBC: 5.6 million

Game 3
VERSUS: 2.75 million
CBC: 5.4 million

Game 4:
VERSUS: 2.71 million
CBC: 5.3 million

Game 5
NBC: 4.32 million
CBC: 6.1 million

Game 6
NBC: 5.48 million
CBC: 6.6 million

 

12 Million Across North America Watch Game 6

From James Mirtle on Twitter:

CBC gets an average audience of 6.6 million for last night’s Game 6, breaking the all-time record yet again.

 

Ratings peaked at 8.1 million viewers near the end of first period. Game reached a total of 16.2 million, most ever for the final on CBC.

The final numbers came in from the states, as the game ticked up to 5.48 million viewers, meaning the game drew 12 million across North America among English-speakers, as RDS in Canada hasn’t been counted yet.

Half-Hour Fast National and Demographic Breakdowns For Game 6

In the fast nationals, NBC drew an approximate 5.26 million viewers for Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final, and a solid 1.8 among adults 18-49, down from a 2.9 initial rating last year (it was later adjusted to a 3.2 in the finals). All are subject (and likely) to change. Here’s the half-hour breakdown.

8:00 p.m. – 4.61 million viewers (#2), 1.5 Adults 18-49 (#2)
8:30 p.m. – 5.51 million viewers (#2), 2.0 Adults 18-49 (#2)
9:00 p.m. – 5.07 million viewers (#3), 1.8 Adults 18-49 (#3)
9:30 p.m. – 5.71 million viewers (#3), 2.1 Adults 18-49 (#2)
10:00 p.m. – 5.06 million viewers (#3), 1.9 Adults 18-49 (t#1)
10:30 p.m. – 5.59 million viewers (#3), 2.1 Adults 18-49 (t#1)

NBC Hypes Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final

NEW YORK – June 14, 2011 – The NBC Sports Group will surround Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final between the Vancouver Canucks and Boston Bruins tomorrow night with game coverage on NBC, pre- and postgame coverage on VERSUS, local Boston coverage on Comcast SportsNet New England, digital coverage on NBCSports.com and social media content on Facebook and Twitter.

 

NBC: Coverage of the deciding game begins from Rogers Arena in Vancouver, Canada at 8 p.m. ET on NBC. Emmy-award winner Mike ‘Doc’ Emrick (play-by-play) and Eddie Olczyk (analyst) will anchor NBC Sports’ game coverage with analyst Pierre McGuire stationed “inside-the-glass.” The studio show will feature host Dan Patrick and analysts Keith Jones and Mike Milbury.

 

Olczyk: “There are times in sports where you say with envy: ‘This is it. Game 7. One game, one opportunity to be number one.’”

 

VERSUS: Hockey Central will start the NBC Sports Group’s national coverage at 7:30 p.m. ET with a 30-minute pre-game show. Immediately following NBC’s game coverage, VERSUS will present postgame coverage with highlights, news, analysis and player interviews, live on-location from Rogers Arena. Bill Patrick will host both programs with Keith Jones and Jeremy Roenick serving as analysts and Darren Pang working as the in-arena reporter.

 

Roenick: “I can’t believe that in the best playoff season I’ve ever seen, and with the outstanding talent pool in the NHL, that the Stanley Cup Final will be decided in a seventh game. I can’t remember being this excited about a game I wasn’t playing in.”

 

CSN NEW ENGLAND: For viewers in Boston, Comcast SporstNet New England’s Game 7 coverage will begin at 6 p.m. ET with Chevrolet SportsNet Central. Anchors/reporters Mike Giardi and Kevin Walsh along with CSNNE.com Bruins Insider Joe Haggerty report live from Vancouver. Michael Felger and Tony Amonte anchor from Boston.

 

 

 

DIGITAL: NBCSports.com and VERSUS.com have combined forces to create a single, robust destination for hockey fans. The NBC Sports Group consolidated NHL content from both the NBCSports.com and VERSUS.com’s hockey sections onto the rapidly-growing NBCSports.com site. Game 7 coverage includes:

 

 

Web-exclusive videos featuring NBC Sports Group hockey commentators previewing Game 7.

 

 

“Star-Cam” will follow marquee players during the game and “Net-Cam” will provide a unique perspective from behind the goalie.

 

 

ProHockeyTalk, which recently had its most-trafficked month ever, will update Game 7 news around the clock and will conduct a live in-game chat.

 

 

 

 

SOCIAL MEDIA: Fans can interact with Game 7 through a variety of NBC Sports and VERSUS social media platforms:

 

 

 

Behind the Scenes: Through the joint “NHL on NBC and VERSUS” Facebook page and @NHLonNBC_VS on Twitter, fans receive exclusive behind-the-scenes photos, interviews and video.

 

 

 

 

Team Tabs: Fans who “Like” the joint NBC and VERSUS Facebook page will have the opportunity to play a variety of games and upload fan photos.

 

 

 

 

News: Fans can follow NBC and VERSUS Facebook and Twitter accounts to receive the most up to date news on Game 7 from ProHockeyTalk.

 

Top Local Numbers For Game 6, Plus Past Game 6 Overnight Ratings

Overnight Ratings for Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final Since the Lockout

2006, Carolina vs. Edmonton – 2.2/4
2007, Anaheim vs. Ottawa – NO GAME
2008, Detroit vs. Pittsburgh* – 4.4/7
2009, Detroit vs. Pittsburgh – 4.1/7
2010, Chicago vs. Philadelphia* – 5.8/10

*- Deciding Game

Top U.S. Local Markets for Game 6

1. Boston – 33.3/48
2. Providence – 18.4/28
3. Buffalo – 9.1/14
4. Hartford – 5.8/9
5. St. Louis – 5.0/8
6. Detroit – 4.7/7
7. Minneapolis – 4.2/7