Game 7’s 1.6 Million Leads NBC to Most-Watched Semifinals On Record

NEW YORK – May 14, 2012 – The NBC Sports Group’s coverage of the first two rounds of the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs have averaged 1.06 million viewers, making the Conference Quarterfinals and Conference Semifinals the most-watched first two rounds on record (sine 1994, when cable program data started). On NBC, NBC Sports Network and CNBC, the 2012 Conference Semifinals averaged 1.32 million viewers, making them the most-watched Conference Semifinals on record. More than 39 million total viewers have watched the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs on NBC, NBC Sports Network and CNBC, up 23% vs. last year (32.2).

 

CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS

 

According to Fast National data released by The Nielsen Company, the 2012 Conference Semifinals:

 

• Averaged 1.29 million viewers on the NBC Sports Network, up 43% percent vs. last year and the best on record for a single cable network.

 

• Averaged 1.32 million viewers across NBC, the NBC Sports Network & CNBC, up 28% vs. last year and the best on record.

 

RANGERS – CAPITALS GAME 7

 

Saturday night’s Game 7 between the New York Rangers and Washington Capitals was watched by 1.68 million viewers on the NBC Sports Network, making it the second most-watched 2012 Conference Semifinal game on cable. Game 3 of the series, which was won by the Rangers in triple overtime, was watched by 1.85 million viewers, making it the most-watched Conference Semifinal game of 2012. The NBC Sports Network was the No. 1 network overall in both markets during the game.

 

• In New York, Rangers-Capitals Game 7 received a 4.8 HH rating, the highest local rating ever in the market for a NHL game on the NBC Sports Network. The telecast was up 129 % vs. 2008’s two-game average (2.07).

 

• In Washington, Rangers-Capitals Game 7 received a 7.67 HH rating, the second-highest local rating ever in the market for a NHL game on the NBC Sports Network. The telecast was up 19% vs. the market’s 2011 Semifinal average (6.45).

 

KINGS-COYOTES GAME 1

 

Last night’s Western Conference Final Game 1 between the Los Angeles Kings and Phoenix Coyotes delivered record ratings for both local markets. The NBC Sports Network was the highest-rated cable network in both local markets during the telecast of the game.

 

• In Los Angeles, Game 1 received a 2.14 HH rating, the highest local rating ever in the market for a NHL game on the NBC Sports Network.

 

• In Phoenix, Game 1 received a 5.56 HH rating, the highest local rating ever in the market for a NHL game on the NBC Sports Network.

 

Final national ratings will be available shortly.

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Mike Fisher, Wife of Some Notoriety to Be Interviewed By Oprah

Has a hockey player ever gotten the Oprah treatment? Well, one (in conjunction with his slightly more famous wife) is about to.

Mike Fisher, and his lovely bride – multi-platinum country crooner Carrie Underwood – will have Ms. Winfrey pay them a visit on the next episode of Oprah’s Next Chapter, which will air on the OWN network (not OLN) May 20th at 9 p.m. ET.

The network says it will be “marking the first time cameras have ever been invited inside their cabin retreat for an intimate, in-depth interview. Underwood reflects on her rise to stardom as she looks back on her journey. For theirfirst television interview together, Underwood and Fisher talk about how they balance their successful and fast-paced careers with their two year marriage. The couple also takes Winfrey to their new plot of land where they plan to build their dream home.” So, if you’ve ever wanted to know… those things, tune in to OWN on May 20th.

Your Announcers and Open Thread for Night 32 of the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs

New Jersey vs. New York, Game 1, 8:00 p.m. ET

US National TV: NBC Sports Network
Play by Play: Mike Emrick
Color: Eddie Olczyk
Inside the Glass: Pierre McGuire

Canada National TV: CBC
Play by Play: Jim Hughson
Color: Craig Simpson
Inside the Glass: Glenn Healy
Reporter: Elliotte Friedman

NBC Has Exclusive Coverage of the Conference Final, Game 7 of LA/Phoenix Would Air on NBCSN

NEW YORK – May 14, 2012 – Day 34 — The NBC Sports Group’s exclusive Conference Finals coverage of the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs continues tonight in New York with the Eastern Conference’s Game 1 between the #1 Rangers and the #6 New Jersey Devils at 8 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Network. Coverage begins at 7:30 p.m. ET with NHL Live.

Mike ‘Doc’ Emrick (play-by-play), Eddie Olczyk (analyst) and Pierre McGuire (‘Inside-the-glass’ analyst) will call the action in the Rangers-Devils series. The team of Dave Strader (play-by-play) and Brian Engblom (analyst) and Darren Pang (‘Inside-the-glass’ analyst) will helm the Western Conference games between the Kings-Coyotes. The Kings won last night’s Game 1, 4-2, in Phoenix. The series resumes tomorrow night with Game 2 at 9 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Network.

Continuing through the Stanley Cup Final, all remaining Stanley Cup Playoff games will air exclusively on NBC and NBC Sports Network. Following is the schedule for the remaining Conference Finals games (all times ET and subject to change):

Monday, May 14

8 p.m. #6 NJD @ #1 NYR (Game 1) NBC Sports Network

Tuesday, May 15

9 p.m. #8 LA @ #3 PHO (Game 2) NBC Sports Network

Wednesday, May 16

8 p.m. #6 NJD @ #1 NYR (Game 2) NBC Sports Network

Thursday, May 17

9 p.m. #3 PHO@ #8 LA (Game 3) NBC Sports Network

Saturday, May 19

1 p.m. #1 NYR @ #6 NJD (Game 3) NBC

Sunday, May 20

3 p.m. #3 PHO @ #8 LA (Game 4) NBC

Monday, May 21

8 p.m. #1 NYR @ #6 NJD (Game 4) NBC Sports Network

Tuesday, May 22

9 p.m. #8 LA @ #3 PHO (Game 5)* NBC Sports Network

Wednesday, May 23

8 p.m. #6 NJD @ #1 NYR (Game 6)*  NBC Sports Network

Thursday, May 24

9 p.m. #3 PHO @ #8 LA (Game 6)* NBC Sports Network

Friday, May 25

8 p.m. #1 NYR @ #6 NJD (Game 6)* NBC Sports Network

Saturday, May 26

8 p.m. #8 LA @ #3 PHO (Game 7)* NBC Sports Network

Sunday, May 27

8 p.m. #6 NJD @ #1 NYR (Game 7)* NBC Sports Network

Game 7 Draws Big Overnight Rating

From Sports Media Watch:

The final game of the Capitals/Rangers series was up big from the only second round Game 7 last season.

Game 7 of the Capitals/Rangers second round Stanley Cup playoff series drew a 1.4 overnight rating on NBC Sports Network Saturday night, according to USA Today — up 54% from Red Wings/Sharks Game 7 on a Thursday night last year.

The 1.4 overnight trails the two previous Saturday games in the series. Game 4 on May 5 drew a 1.6 overnight rating, and Game 1 on April 28 drew a 1.5.

Both games aired on the NBC broadcast network.

The game also drew a 4.8 in New York, a record for the NHL in the market. Should be more information on Game 7 soon.

Why Game 7 of the Western Conference Final is Listed as TBD

In the quagmire of scheduling conflicts that the Stanley Cup Playoffs often make up, the conference finals are supposed to be a relief from it all. You can show a game a night for two weeks on a channel and not have any problems or conflicts. A couple of games get thrown on NBC on a weekend afternoon and it’s all settled away.

There may be a bit of a problem this year, however. You may have noticed in the NHL’s third round schedules that the if necessary Game 7 of the Western Conference Final between the Kings and the Coyotes on Saturday, May 26th is listed as “TBD” next to the usual CBC and RDS names on the slate. It’s Game 7 of a conference final, what’s the confusion? Just put it on NBC Sports Network and let’s roll.

As you probably have predicted, there is a problem with this. As part of NBC’s deal with Major League Soccer, the network gets a few US Men’s and Women’s National team friendlies throughout the calendar year. The first such event is Saturday, May 26th. The US Men take on Scotland in Jacksonville, in a game scheduled for 8 p.m. ET live on the NBC Sports Network.

So, what do we do here? While Game 1 would suggest that these teams won’t need seven games in any stretch of the imagination, who’s to say the Coyotes can’t continue their run? Everytime they’ve been pushed, they’ve pushed back harder. Of course, I don’t really need to sell you on belief in a hypothetical situation, since we deal with that sometimes here on Puck the Media. Let’s face it, about half of the posts that have ever appeared on this site deal in them.

Anyway, the most likely option – besides moving the game up a few hours, as I’m sure they’ve sold a ton of tickets and don’t want to inconvenience people, or moving the hockey up a few hours which could affect CBC – would be CNBC. Can you imagine? The deciding seventh game, which would determine who makes it to a Stanley Cup Final, pushed to a channel that couldn’t draw more than 600,000 viewers for second round games. It would seem a bit of a knockdown, though CNBC is in more homes than NBC Sports Network.

One would suppose NBC could be an option, and I would be fully supportive of that. You’d have to imagine a Game 7 – even between Los Angeles and Phoenix – would draw at least enough of a demo number to make it worth skipping reruns of the cancelled Harry’s Law and the erstwhile Law & Order: SVU. Let’s face it, no one wants to watch the show without Chris Meloni anyway.

The only problem there is that the other networks have decided to go with sports that night as well. ABC is planning to air either Game 7 of an Eastern Conference Semifinal (Boston-Philadelphia or Indiana-Miami) or an early game of a conference final that night. FOX is continuing along with their absurd Baseball Night in America series where they show 40 games at once and hope enough local viewers tune in to justify it. Philadelphia-St. Louis is their main game that night, though the Angels are also in action, which could draw away local viewers.

I’m sure something can be figured out here, and whether it’s NBCSN, NBC or CNBC, the game will probably be well watched and on a channel people can find. That said, it does make for an interesting little dilemma that we’ll all be following if the series gets to that point.