Flyers-Pens Draws Best Numbers Ever For April Regular Season Game on NBC

Without NCAA Tournament games to challenge it, a wild Flyers-Penguins game drew solid numbers for NBC on Sunday.

The network’s second consecutive broadcast featuring Philadelphia and Pittsburgh drew a 1.2 overnight rating, according to Sports Bustiness Daily (reg. required). This is the best number NBC has drawn since the regional window on Hockey Day in America (2/19/12: 1.4), and the best number NBC has drawn for a single game since the Winter Classic. The last time NBC hit a 1.2 with a single game was in February of 2011 (2/20/11, PIT vs. CHI).

The game was up 17% from last year’s comparable broadcast (4/3/11, NYR vs. PHI: 1.0), and up 17% from the comparable broadcast in 2010 (4/4/10, DET vs. PHI: 1.0). It was also up 17% from two weeks’ ago, when the network also aired Pens/Flyers. In fact, it drew the best numbers ever for a regular season game in April on the network. The last time the NHL drew this high a number for a regular season April telecast was 2001 on ABC (4/7/01, COL/DET, PIT/PHI, NYR/FLA, DAL/SJ: 1.4). With the regular season winding down, April can often be a bit of a dead zone for NHL ratings, but a seriously entertaining Pens-Flyers game beat that.

The NHL on NBC has it’s seventh (!) regular season finale on Saturday, with the Blackhawks visiting the Red Wings.

NHL On NBC Overnights This Season
November 25 – Detroit vs. Boston: 1.0
January 1 – NY Rangers vs. Philadelphia: 2.4
January 14 – Chicago vs. Detroit: 1.1
January 22 – Washington vs. Pittsburgh: 1.1
February 12 – Washington vs. NY Rangers: 1.0
February 19 – Regional Coverage (SJ/DET, PIT/BUF, STL/CHI): 1.4
February 19 – Boston vs. Minnesota: 1.0
March 4 – Boston vs. NY Rangers: 1.0
March 11 – Boston vs. Pittsburgh: 0.8
March 18 – Pittsburgh vs. Philadelphia: 1.0
April 1 – Philadelphia vs. Pittsburgh: 1.2
Average: 1.1

NHL On NBC Overnights For 2010-11 Season
January 1 – Washington vs. Pittsburgh: 2.8
January 23 – Philadelphia vs. Chicago: 1.1
February 6 – Pittsburgh vs. Washington: 1.0
February 13 – Boston vs. Detroit: 0.9
February 20 – Regional Coverage (PHI/NYR, WSH/BUF, DET/MIN): 1.2
February 20 – Pittsburgh vs. Chicago*: 1.2
March 6 – Philadelphia vs. NY Rangers: 0.9
March 13 – Chicago vs. Washington: 0.9
March 20 – NY Rangers vs. Pittsburgh: 0.7
April 3 – NY Rangers vs. Philadelphia: 1.0
April 10 – Detroit vs. Chicago: 1.1
Season Average: 1.1

2011 Stanley Cup Playoff Overnights

Apr. 16 – Phoenix vs. Detroit, Game 2: 1.1 
Apr. 17 – Washington vs. NY Rangers, Game 3: 1.3
Apr. 23 – NY Rangers vs. Washington, Game 5: 1.3
Apr. 24 – Philadelphia vs. Buffalo, Game 6: 1.6
Apr. 30 – Boston vs. Philadelphia, Game 1: 1.5
May 1 – Detroit vs. San Jose, Game 2: 1.6
May 21 – Boston vs. Tampa Bay, Game 4: 1.5
May 22 – Vancouver vs. San Jose, Game 4: 1.3
Average To Date: 1.4

NHL on NBC Overnights for 2009-10 Season

Jan. 1, Philadelphia vs. Boston*: 2.6
Jan. 17, Chicago vs. Detroit: 0.8
Jan. 24, Pittsburgh vs. Philadelphia: 1.3
Jan. 31, Detroit vs. Pittsburgh: 1.2
Feb. 7, Pittsburgh vs. Washington: 1.3
Mar. 7, Detroit vs. Chicago: 1.2 
Mar. 14, Washington vs. Chicago: 1.0
Mar. 21, NY Rangers vs. Boston: 0.7
Apr. 4, Detroit vs. Philadelphia: 1.0
Apr. 11, Boston vs. Washington: 0.9
Season Average: 1.2

2010 Stanley Cup Playoff Overnights

Apr. 17 – Boston vs. Buffalo, Game 2: 1.2
Apr. 18 – Phoenix vs. Detroit, Game 3: 1.5
Apr. 24 – Nashville vs. Chicago, Game 5: 1.3
Apr. 25 – Phoenix vs. Detroit, Game 6: 1.3
May 1 – Philadelphia vs. Boston, Game 1: 1.6
May 2 – Montreal vs. Pittsburgh, Game 2: 1.6
May 16 – Chicago vs. San Jose, Game 1: 1.7
May 22 – Philadelphia vs. Montreal, Game 4: 1.6
May 23 – San Jose vs. Chicago, Game 4: 2.0
Playoff Average: 1.5

2009 Stanley Cup Playoff Overnights

Apr. 18 – NY Rangers vs. Washington, Game 2: 1.0
Apr. 19 – Pittsburgh vs. Philadelphia, Game 3: 1.7
Apr. 25 – Pittsburgh vs. Philadelphia, Game 6: 1.2
Apr. 26 – Washington vs. NY Rangers, Game 6: 1.0
May 2 – Pittsburgh vs. Washington, Game 1: 1.4
May 3 – Anaheim vs. Detroit, Game 2: 1.3
May 17 – Chicago vs. Detroit, Game 1: 2.0
May 24 – Detroit vs. Chicago, Game 4: 1.5
Playoff Average: 1.3

NHL On NBC Overnights for the 2008-09 Season

January 1 – Detroit vs. Chicago: 2.9
January 18 – NY Rangers vs. Pittsburgh: 1.1
February 8 – Detroit vs. Pittsburgh: 1.1 
February 15 – Philadelphia vs. NY Rangers: 0.9
February 22 – Pittsburgh vs. Washington: 1.1
March 8 – Boston vs. NY Rangers: 1.0
March 15 – Philadelphia vs. NY Rangers: 1.1
March 22 – Philadelphia vs. Pittsburgh: 1.0
April 5 – Minnesota vs. Detroit: 0.9
April 12 – Detroit vs. Chicago: 0.6

2008 Stanley Cup Playoff Overnights

April 12 – Nashville vs. Detroit, Game 2: 1.0
April 13 – Philadelphia vs. Washington, Game 2: 1.0
April 19 – Philadelphia vs. Washington, Game 5: 1.2
April 20 – Detroit vs. Nashville, Game 6: 1.3
April 26 – Colorado vs. Detroit, Game 2: 1.0
April 27 – NY Rangers vs. Pittsburgh, Game 2: 1.2 
May 4 – NY Rangers vs. Pittsburgh, Game 5: 1.5
May 17 – Dallas vs. Detroit, Game 5: 1.5
May 18 – Philadelphia vs. Pittsburgh, Game 5: 1.7

NHL On NBC Overnights for the 2007-08 Season

January 1 – Pittsburgh vs. Buffalo: 2.6
January 20 – Boston vs. NY Rangers: 1.1
February 3 – NY Rangers vs. Montreal: 0.8
February 10 – Anaheim vs. Detroit: 0.9
February 17 – Detroit vs. Dallas: 0.8
March 2 – Philadelphia vs. NY Rangers: 1.1
March 9 – Pittsburgh vs. Washington: 1.0
March 16 – Philadelphia vs. Pittsburgh: 1.1
March 30 – NY Rangers vs. Pittsburgh: 1.0
April 6 – Chicago vs. Detroit: 0.8

2007 Stanley Cup Playoffs Overnights

April 14 – Regional Coverage (PIT vs. OTT, NYR vs. ATL): 1.2
April 15 – Calgary vs. Detroit, Game 2: 1.4
April 21 – Calgary vs. Detroit, Game 5: 0.9
April 22 – New Jersey vs. Tampa Bay, Game 6: 1.1
April 28 – San Jose vs. Detroit, Game 2: 1.0
April 29 – Buffalo vs. NY Rangers, Game 3: 1.3
May 5 – San Jose vs. Detroit, Game 5: 1.4
May 6 – Buffalo vs. NY Rangers, Game 6: 1.4
May 19 – Ottawa vs. Buffalo, Game 5: 0.9
May 20 – Anaheim vs. Detroit, Game 5: 1.4

NHL On NBC Overnights for the 2006-07 Season

January 13 – Regional Coverage (PIT vs. PHI, BOS vs. NYR, LA vs. STL): 1.1
January 28 – Regional Coverage (COL vs. DET, DAL vs. ANA, PHI vs. ATL): 1.3
February 11 – Regional Coverage (COL vs. DAL, TB vs. NJ, CHI vs. CLB): 0.9
February 18 – Regional Coverage (WSH vs. PIT, CHI vs. NYR, SJ vs. DAL): 1.0
March 4 – Regional Coverage (COL vs. DET, PHI vs. PIT): 1.3
March 11 – Regional Coverage (BOS vs. DET, CAR vs. NYR): 1.0
March 25 – Regional Coverage (NYR vs. NYI, BOS vs. PIT): 1.1
April 1 – Regional Coverage (CLB vs. DET, LA vs. SJ): 1.0
April 8 – Regional Coverage (BUF vs. PHI, CHI vs. DAL): 0.9

2006 Stanley Cup Playoffs Overnights

April 22 – Regional Coverage (NYR vs. NJ, COL vs. DAL): 1.3
April 23 – Regional Coverage (EDM vs. DET, SJ vs. NSH): 1.5
April 29 – Regional Coverage (NJ vs. NYR, EDM vs. DET): 1.2
April 30 – Regional Coverage (PHI vs. BUF, COL vs. DAL): 1.5
May 6 – New Jersey vs. Carolina, Game 1: 1.1
May 7 – Colorado vs. Anaheim, Game 2: 0.9
May 13 – Carolina vs. New Jersey, Game 4: 1.0
May 20 – Buffalo vs. Carolina, Game 1: 1.2

NHL On NBC Overnights for the 2005-06 Season

January 14 – Regional Coverage (NYR vs. DET, COL vs. PHI, DAL vs. BOS): 1.5
January 21 – Regional Coverage (PHI vs. PIT, DET vs. COL, SJ vs. LA): 1.3
January 28 – Regional Coverage (PIT vs. NYR, TB vs. PHI, DET vs. DAL): 1.3
February 4 – Regional Coverage (DET vs. COL, NYI vs. PIT, DAL vs. STL): 1.2
April 8 – Regional Coverage (NYR vs. BOS, STL vs. COL, ANA vs. LA): 0.9
April 15 – Regional Coverage (NYR vs. PHI, MIN vs. DAL, BOS vs. ATL): 1.0

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