NBC Sunday Will Feature Pens/Flyers, Bruins/Caps Doubleheader

NBC announced on their post-game show, NHL Live, after the Red Wings-Predators game that this will be the  schedule for the Stanley Cup Playoffs this Sunday:

12:00 p.m. ET – Pittsburgh vs. Philadelphia, Game 6 (NBC/TSN)
3:00 p.m. ET – Boston vs. Washington, Game 6 (NBC/CBC)
8:00 p.m. ET – Los Angeles vs. Vancouver, Game 5 (NBC Sports Network/CBC)

(Source: NBC Sports PR)

Thursday Ratings: Bruins/Caps Up, Blues/Sharks Down

While Bruins/Capitals hit a new series high on Thursday, both the Blues/Sharks and Coyotes/Blackhawks series saw dips last night.

Game 4 between the Bruins and Capitals drew a series best 683,000 viewers on NBC Sports Network Thursday evening. While Monday numbers are still unavailable, this beats Game 1 for the best cable results of this series. Bruins/Capitals was up 14% from last year’s comparable telecast on VERSUS (BOS/MTL, Game 4: 599,000).

A little later, the Coyotes and Blackhawks drew 380,000 viewers for Game 4 of their series on CNBC. That was down about 36,000 viewers from Game 3 on Tuesday, but both Phoenix/Chicago games have marked the best numbers for CNBC so far this post-season.

In late night, the dull Game 4 of the Blues/Sharks series marked the lowest viewership totals for NBCSN all post-season, with the game drawing just 398,000 viewers. Those numbers are down 48% from last year’s comparable VERSUS broadcast (CHI/VAN Game 5: 590,000).

(Source: @SonoftheBronx)

Your Announcers and Open Thread for Night 10 of the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs

Philadelphia vs. Pittsburgh, Game 5, 7:30 p.m. ET

US National TV: NBCSN
Play by Play: Kenny Albert
Inside the Glass: Pierre McGuire

Canada National TV: TSN
Play by Play: Gord Miller
Inside the Glass: Ray Ferraro

Philadelphia Local: CSN Philadelphia

Pittsburgh Local: ROOT Sports Pittsburgh

Detroit vs. Nashville, Game 5, 8:00 p.m. ET

US National TV: CNBC
Play by Play: Dave Strader
Inside the Glass: Brian Engblom

Canada National TV: CBC
Play by Play: Mark Lee
Color: Kevin Weekes

Detroit Local: FS Detroit

Nashville Local: SportSouth

Saturday Marks First Time a Late Game Beats an Early Game

We continue to receive ratings out of order, but NBC Sports Network continues to have good news on top of good news on top of good news during the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs, as Saturday night saw a solid number for the early game, but the late game beat it for the first time this post-season.

The early game, a surprise overtime game between the Rangers and Senators, drew708,000 viewers, up 7% from last year’s comparable game (MTL/BOS, Game 2: 661,000). It’s one of only two games of the series currently scheduled for NBCSN, the other being Game 5 on Saturday night.

The follow-up game, Chicago/Phoenix Game 2 – which was exclusive in Phoenix – was the first late game to draw better numbers than the early game since last year’s Game 7 doubleheader, when Chicago/Vancouver beat Buffalo/Philadelphia. Game 2 between the Yotes and Hawks – also an overtime game – drew 725,000 viewers. It was helped out by being an NBC exclusive in the Phoenix market. It is up 42% from last year’s comparable game (LA/SJ Game 2: 457,000).

Top 10 Most-Watched Games of the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs on Cable

1. Pittsburgh vs. Philadelphia, Game 4 (4/18/12, NBCSN): 1.03 million
2. Philadelphia vs. Pittsburgh, Game 1 (4/11/12, NBCSN): 847,000
3. Philadelphia vs. Pittsburgh, Game 2 (4/13/12, NBCSN): 795,000
4. New Jersey vs. Florida, Game 2 (4/15/12, NBCSN): 768,000
5. Vancouver vs. Los Angeles, Game 3 (4/15/12, NBCSN): 749,000
6. Vancouver vs. Los Angeles, Game 4 (4/18/12, NBCSN): 748,000
7. Chicago vs. Phoenix, Game 2 (4/14/12, NBCSN): 725,000
8. Ottawa vs. NY Rangers, Game 2 (4/14/12, NBCSN): 708,000
9. Nashville vs. Detroit, Game 4 (4/17/12, NBCSN): 628,000
10. Los Angeles vs. Vancouver, Game 2 (4/13/12, NBCSN): 622,000

(Source: @SonoftheBronx)