Report: Game 3 Ratings Up 35% From 2009, Potentially Most Viewed Since 2002
June 3, 2010 5 Comments
According to NHL Live on NHL Network, Game #3 of the Stanley Cup Final on VERSUS drew a 2.59 national cable rating, which would mark a ratings record for the network, and potentially tie a cable ratings milestone for the NHL.
The 2.6 cable rating is up 35% from VERSUS’ broadcast of the Detroit/Pittsburgh Game #3 last season. It is up 8% from the national rating for Game #3 in 2008, which was aired on NBC. Since national ratings are typically larger audiences than cable ratings, you have to hold back on saying it drew a bigger rating. If the viewer numbers are bigger for VERSUS, however, Game #3 would be the highest rated Game #3 since 2002, when Detroit/Carolina drew a 3.3 on ABC.
The rating potentially ties the 2.6 Carolina/Detroit Game #2 drew on ESPN in that very same 2002 series, and would tie it for second all-time for the NHL on cable (Game #7 of the 1994 Vancouver/NY Rangers series drew a 3.5 on ESPN). I’ll know more as the day goes on, and we should have more official numbers around 4PM, according to the NHL. But this initial report from NHL Live signifies a huge evening for the league.
Puck The Media 
Didn’t Game 3 do 3 million viewers last year? Could Versus do 4 million this year? That’s pretty good..
We need ESPN why exactly?
Amen
I go on Yahoo Sports and read all those idiots posts about how the NHL is dying and how pre-lockout hockey was better. Well, pre-lockout hockey didn’t draw 3.6 million viewers.
SBD: Last night’s Stanley Cup Game 3 was most viewed telecast in Versus’ 15-year history. It pulled a US 2.0 rating/3.6M viewers.