Very impressive ratings for Game 1 of the NHL Stanley Cup Final. Overall, the ratings resulted in a 2.7 rating/5 share which is up from the 2.3/5 that was hit the previous two years. It’s also the most watched Game 1 of the Final in a dozen years. In Boston, the rating was very impressive, ending at a 25.5/39, peaking at 29.0/50 in the final half-hour. Average viewership for the game was 4.6 million, up 3% from 2010.
Here’s the press release.
MOST-WATCHED STANLEY CUP GAME 1 IN 12 YEARS
4.6 Million Tops Both Last Year’s Philadelphia-Chicago Game 1 and 2009’s Pittsburgh-Detroit Game 1
NEW 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, was the most-watched Stanley Cup Final Game 1 in 12 years.
The broadcast drew 4.6 million viewers up three percent from last year’s Game 1 (Philadelphia-Chicago, 4.4 million) and up six percent compared to Game 1 in 2009 (Pittsburgh-Detroit, 4.3 million). The 4.6 million makes last night’s game the most-watched Game 1 since 1999 (Buffalo vs. Dallas, 5.1 million on Fox).
- The 2.7/5 household rating/share for Game 1 is up 17 percent from both the previous two year’s Game 1 rating (2.3/5 both years).
- This is the first Stanley Cup Final featuring a Canadian team since the Ottawa Senators faced the Anaheim Ducks in 2007. The 4.6 million viewers for last night’s game is three million more and 189 percent higher than the first network broadcast of that series (1.6 million viewers 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 all.
