Well, all NBC Sports Network needed was some real game action to see some results. While the ratings for NBC Sports Network have been mostly in the toilet since the relaunch from Versus on New Year’s Day, an encouraging sign is the ratings for the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs which are up 22% in the first two nights of the almost two month long postseason odyssey.
Viewership is up to an average 600,000 people, up from 490,000 through the first two nights last year. NBC Sports Network has also been helped by two compelling overtime games on Thursday.
We have the press release directly from NBC Sports Group.
NHL PLAYOFFS ON NBC SPORTS NETWORK UP 22% THROUGH TWO DAYS
NBC Sports Network’s Day 2 Average Up 20% vs. Last Year
Blackhawks-Coyotes Up 31% vs. Last Year; Capitals-Bruins Up 13%
Wednesday’s Opening Night Total Audience on Two Channels Up 34% vs. Last Year’s One-Channel CoverageNEW YORK – April 13, 2012 – Through two days of the 2012 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs, NBC Sports Network’s viewership is up 22% compared to the first two days of last year’s playoffs (600,000 vs. 490,000), according to official national ratings data released today by The Nielsen Company. In addition, the second night of coverage on NBC Sports Network (formerly VERSUS) on Thursday was up 20 percent compared to last year’s Day 2 (541,000 vs. 451,000).
NBC Sports Network’s coverage of the Coyotes 3-2 overtime victory over the Blackhawks registered 499,000 viewers, up 31% vs. last year (381,000). Coverage of the Bruins 1-0 overtime win over the Capitals was watched by 576,000 viewers, up 13% vs. last year (510,000).
The Sharks 3-2 overtime victory over the Blues was watched by 320,000 viewers on CNBC. There was no comparable coverage last year as this is the first year in NHL history that all playoff games are being shown nationally.
OPENING NIGHT TOTAL AUDIENCE UP 34%: Wednesday night’s three-game Opening Night coverage of the 2012 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs on both NBC Sports Network (doubleheader) and CNBC had a total audience of 3.59 million viewers, a 34% increase vs. last year, when NBC Sports Network (formerly VERSUS) was the only channel to show games (2.68 million).
That’s all.
