We now have the press release from NBC Sports officially announcing that the overnight ratings for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final are the highest in a dozen years. And even with Vancouver in the Final, a city that isn’t measured by the US Nielsen ratings, the overnight resulted in a 3.2 rating/6 share, 14% higher than last year’s Game 1 at 2.8/6 which had two US teams, Philadelphia and Chicago. As I posted earlier today, Boston and Providence led the way in the local ratings. Buffalo, Hartford and Pittsburgh round out the top five. Your press release.
BEST STANLEY CUP GAME 1 OVERNIGHT IN 12 YEARS
Game 1 Up 14% Over Last Year’s Philadelphia-Chicago Game 1
Boston Leads All Metered Markets with a 25.5 Rating & 39 ShareNEW YORK – June 2, 2011 — Last night’s Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final, which featured the Vancouver Canucks defeating the Boston Bruins, 1-0, produced the best overnight rating for a Game 1 in 12 years. The broadcast generated a 3.2 overnight rating and 6 share up 14 percent compared to last year’s Game 1 (Philadelphia-Chicago, 2.8/6) and the best overnight for a Game 1 since 1999 (Buffalo vs. Dallas, 3.7 on Fox).
- Boston was the top-rated market on the night with a 25.5/39, the highest-rated NHL game in Boston dating back to at least 1995, and topping the Boston rating for last year’s NBA Finals Game 1 featuring the Celtics-Lakers (19.1/34).
- This is the first Stanley Cup Final featuring a Canadian team since the Ottawa Senators faced the Anaheim Ducks in 2007. The 3.2 overnight for last night’s game is 113 percent higher than the first network broadcast of that series (1.5/3 for Game 3).
Top Metered Markets For Game 1
1. Boston, 25.5/39
2. Providence, 16.7/24
3. Buffalo, 7.2/11
4. Hartford, 5.5/8
5. Pittsburgh, 4.3/7
That’s it. Links are next.
