VERSUS Draws 1.56 million for Game 2, Up 5% For Conference Finals
May 18, 2011 3 Comments
A classic Game 2 between Tampa Bay and Boston drew solid numbers for VERSUS on Tuesday.
The Game 2 broadcast of the Eastern Conference Final between the Lightning and Bruins scored 1,562,000 viewers on VERSUS Tuesday night, up 2% from Game 1 (1,541,000 viewers) on Saturday night. It is up 24% from last year’s Game 2, between Montreal and Philadelphia (1.2 million, 5/18/10), and down 9% from 2009’s Game 2 between Carolina and Pittsburgh (1.7 million). The game drew a 14.59 rating in the Boston market.
Through three nights, the NHL Conference Finals on VERSUS are up 5% from this same point in 2010 (1,382,000 viewers in 2011 vs. 1,318,000 viewers in 2010).
Eastern Conference Final viewership on VERSUS
2011
Game 1 (5/14/11): 1.54 million viewers
Game 2 (5/17/11): 1.56 million viewers
2010
Game 1 (5/16/11): 1.5 million viewers
Game 2 (5/18/11): 1.2 million viewers
Top 10 in Viewers For 2011 Stanley Cup Playoffs on VERSUS
1. Boston vs. Philadelphia, Game 2 (5/2/11) – 1,699,000 viewers
2. Detroit vs. San Jose, Game 5 (5/8/11) – 1,627,000 viewers
3. Tampa Bay vs. Boston, Game 2 (5/17/11) – 1,562,000 viewers
4. Tampa Bay vs. Boston, Game 1 (5/14/11) – 1,541,000 viewers
5. Tampa Bay vs. Washington, Game 2 (5/1/11) – 1,261,000 viewers
6. Detroit vs. San Jose, Game 7 (5/12/11) – 1,251,000 viewers
7. Philadelphia vs. Boston, Game 3 (5/4/11) – 1,234,000 viewers
8. Vancouver vs. Chicago, Game 6 (4/24/11) – 1,157,000 viewers
9. Chicago vs. Vancouver, Game 7 (4/26/11) – 1,130,000 viewers
10. San Jose vs. Detroit, Game 6 (5/10/11) – 1,021,000 viewers
Puck The Media 
Tampa has fared better in the ratings than I thought. They obviously need a strong opponent but they are a total waste like Nashville or Carolina is.
Still, the league needs Boston to win the series to avoid disaster in the Cup final. Boston/Vancouver has potential, especially for a Canada/US series. With the Celtics out, the Bruins alone could carry the Cup final to good ratings. Much like the Red Sox dragging the Rockies to excellent World Series ratings in 2007.
Edit: Tampa is NOT a total waste like Nashville or Carolina.
What are the local ratings in Tampa?