Sunday’s amazing Game 6 where the Chicago Blackhawks came from behind to eventually beat the Vancouver Canucks in overtime set yet another ratings record for Comcast SportsNet. According to CSN and Nielsen, the rating for last night was 12.45, the highest ratings ever for the Blackhawks on Comcast SportsNet. In addition, the game had an average of just over 436,000 households watching. The ratings peaked at 16.9 and 592,000 households in the last quarter hour of the game.

The 12.45 rating breaks the previous record of 10.58 set for Game 5 of the series. You can bet that Comcast SportsNet is happy to have Game 7 on its airwaves on Tuesday.

We have the press release from Comcast SportsNet Chicago.

COMCAST SPORTSNET SETS NEW ALL-TIME CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS RATINGS RECORD FOR ITS LIVE COVERAGE OF GAME 6 LAST NIGHT

Last Night’s Blackhawks First Round, Game 6 Victory Attracts Record 436,000 Households
New All-Time Records also set for “Blackhawks Pre-Game Live” & “Blackhawks Post Game Live”
#1 Highest-Rated TV Station in Chicago Market from 6:00 – 11:30 PM for Households & Adults 25-54
1.7 Million Households have watched Comcast SportsNet’s Coverage of Six Playoff Telecasts

Chicago, IL (April 25, 2011) – Comcast SportsNet, the television home for the most comprehensive coverage of the defending Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks, delivered its highest Blackhawks rating ever last evening (April 24) — a 12.45 household rating for its live coverage of the Blackhawks Game 6 first round, home ice victory over the Vancouver Canucks.

For last night’s pulse-pounding playoff OT win by the Blackhawks forcing a Game 7 on Tuesday night (NOTE: Game 7 coverage begins at 8:30 PM on CSN+, game will air on both Comcast SportsNet & CSN+ immediately following the conclusion of the Bulls game at approx. 9:45pm), Comcast SportsNet attracted approx. 436,074 households for the entire game and scored a massive 16.9 peak rating during the 9:45 PM quarter-hour (approx. 592,000 households). The 12.45 single game ratings record on Comcast SportsNet shatters the previous all-time record set last week on April 21 for the Blackhawks first round, Game 5 win at Vancouver (10.58). In addition, Comcast SportsNet also posted new all-time household ratings records last night for Blackhawks Pre-Game Live (3.43) and Blackhawks Post Game Live (5.32 for households, 5.81 for Adults 25-54). Source for all ratings information is provided by Nielsen Media Research.

Comcast SportsNet was also the #1-highest rated television network in the Chicago market last night for households and every key male & adult demographic for the entire length of the game (6:30-10:00 PM). In addition, for households and every key demographic (including Adults 25-54), Comcast SportsNet was the #1-highest rated network in the Chicago market from 6:00 – 11:30 PM, which included the network’s airing of Blackhawks Pre-Game Live, the Blackhawks vs. Vancouver game telecast, Blackhawks Post Game Live and back-to-back airings of SportsNet Central.

For its live coverage of six Stanley Cup Playoffs first round telecasts thus far, Comcast SportsNet has garnered approx. 1.71 MILLION Chicago TV households tuning in for the network’s Blackhawks Stanley Cup Playoffs game coverage. Plus – Comcast SportsNet has attracted close to ONE MILLION households (965,000) tuning in to Blackhawks Pre-Game Live and Blackhawks Post Game Live so far this playoff season.

In comparison to Comcast SportsNet’s first round playoff series last season (NOTE: Blackhawks faced Nashville last year in the first round), Household ratings this year for the first round are up 35% (8.13 vs. 6.02) and Adults 25-54 ratings have increased 46% (7.04 vs. 4.84)

Please note the following key details for Comcast SportsNet’s coverage of Game 7 TOMORROW NIGHT (Tue, Apr. 26)…

9:00 PM – BLACKHAWKS at VANCOUVER in HD (Rd. 1, Gm. 7) – LIVE on Comcast SportsNet & CSN+

• IMPORTANT NOTE: Beginning at 9:00pm, the Blackhawks game will start exclusively on CSN+…the game will then air on BOTH Comcast SportsNet and CSN+ immediately following the conclusion of the Bulls game (approx. 9:45pm)

(NOTE: VISIT CSNCHICAGO.COM FOR EXACT CSN+ CHANNEL LOCATIONS)

• Featuring Pat Foley and Eddie Olczyk with the game call
• “Blackhawks Pre-Game Live” with hosts Chris Boden and Steve Konroyd will begin at 8:30 PM on CSN+ & CSNChicago.com…“Blackhawks Post Game Live” airs immediately following the game on Comcast SportsNet & CSN+.

That’s it.