Stanley Cup Final Game 7 Is Most Watched NHL Game In 38 Years

Game 7 of the 2011 Stanley Cup Final, which saw the Boston Bruins defeat the Vancouver Canucks, 4-0, to claim their first championship since 1972, was watched by 8.54 million people, making it the most-watched NHL game in 38 years, according to official national data released today by The Nielsen Company. The viewership is up three percent from last year's deciding Game 6 overtime thriller between the Chicago Blackhawks and Philadelphia Flyers and up seven percent compared to the most recent Game 7 in 2009 between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Detroit Red Wings.

NBC Sports Group surrounded the Stanley Cup with pre- and postgame coverage on VERSUS, regional coverage on Comcast SportsNet New England and robust digital coverage on the integrated NBCSports.com.

Last night's Game 7 drew 8.54 million viewers (8-11:06 p.m. ET), the most for an NHL game in 38 years (5/10/73, Montreal-Chicago, 9.4 million on NBC) and the fourth most-watched Stanley Cup game ever.

Last night's game was up three percent from last year's deciding Game 6 overtime thriller (Chicago-Philadelphia, 8.28 million) and up seven percent from the 2009 Stanley Cup Game 7 (Pittsburgh-Detroit, 7.99 million).

The 8.54 million viewers makes last night's game the most-watched Game 7 in 40 years (5/18/71, Montreal-Chicago, 12.4 million on CBS).

Stanley Cup Final Game 7 powers NBC to win the night in primetime among viewers, household rating, Adults 18-49 and all key male demos

Game 7 posted a national household rating of 4.8 and an 8 share, making it the highest-rated NHL game 37 years (5/19/74, Boston-Philadelphia, 7.6/27 on NBC), two percent higher than last year's deciding Game 6 (Chicago-Philadelphia, 4.7/6) and 12 percent higher than the 2009 Stanley Cup Game 7 (Pittsburgh-Detroit, 4.3/8).

MOST-WATCHED STANLEY CUP GAMES (1966-2011):

1. 5/18/71, Montreal-Chicago - Game 7, 12.41 million, CBS
2. 5/11/72, Boston-NY Rangers - Game 6, 10.93 million, CBS
3. 5/10/73, Montreal-Chicago - Game 6, 9.41 million, NBC
4. 6/15/11, Boston-Vancouver - Game 7, 8.54 million, NBC (Last Night's Game)
5. 4/30/72, NY Rangers-Boston - Game 1, 8.51 million, CBS
6. 5/12/74, Boston-Philadelphia - Game 3, 8.30 million, NBC
7. 6/9/10, Chicago-Philadelphia - Game 6, 8.28 million, NBC
8. 5/7/72, Boston-NY Rangers - Game 4, 8.26 million, CBS
9. 6/12/09, Pittsburgh-Detroit - Game 7, 7.99 million, NBC
10. 5/19/74, Boston-Philadelphia - Game 6, 7.85 million, NBC

STANLEY CUP FINAL GAME 7 VIEWERSHIP HISTORY (1966-2011):

1. 5/18/71, Montreal-Chicago, 12.41 million, CBS
2. 6/15/11, Boston-Vancouver, 8.54 million - Last Night's Game
3. 6/12/09, Pittsburgh-Detroit, 7.99 million, NBC
4. 6/9/03, Anaheim-New Jersey, 7.17 million, ABC
5. 6/9/01, New Jersey-Colorado, 6.95 million, ABC
6. 6/7/04, Calgary-Tampa Bay, 6.29 million, ABC
7. 6/14/94, NY Rangers-Vancouver, 5.44 million, ESPN
8. 6/19/06, Edmonton-Carolina, 5.29 million, NBC
* 5/31/87, Edmonton-Philadelphia on SportsChannel America - Data not available

BEST COMBINED NETWORK/CABLE STANLEY CUP SERIES VIEWERSHIP FEATURING A CANADIAN TEAM EVER: The Stanley Cup Final seven game series (Games 1, 2, 5, 6, 7 on NBC and Games 3, 4 on VERSUS) averaged 4.6 million viewers and a household rating of 2.7/5, surpassing the 2004 series (3.3 million, 2.2/4 on ABC/ESPN) as the most-watched combined network/cable Stanley Cup involving a Canadian team ever and up 39 percent from that series.

NBC's five-game average audience of 5.31 million and 3.1/6 is the best for a network Stanley Cup Final featuring a Canadian team in 38 years (6.8/15 and 7.4 million for three games in 1973 on NBC).

 

BOSTON SETS RECORDS: The Boston market earned a 43.4 rating and a 64 share, the best overnight on record for a hockey game in Boston (dating back to 1991) and the best overnight in the Boston market featuring a Boston team in any major sports championship since Super Bowl XLII (Patriots-Giants, 55.6 on 2/3/08).

Boston's seven-game average for the Stanley Cup Final (five games on NBC, two games on VERSUS) was a 28.1/44, 12 percent higher than ABC's seven-game Boston average for last year's NBA Finals (25.0/40 for Boston-LA Lakers).

TOP MARKETS FOR 2011 STANLEY CUP FINAL GAME 7:

1. Boston, 43.4/64
2. Providence, 25.9/38
3. Buffalo, 10.6/17
T4. Detroit, 8.7/14
T4. Hartford, 8.7/13
6. Pittsburgh, 7.6/12
7. Denver, 7.2/14
T8. Minneapolis, 6.7/12
T8. Las Vegas, 6.7/11
10. St. Louis, 6.2/10

TOP MARKETS FOR 2011 STANLEY CUP FINAL (NBC and VERSUS)

1. Boston, 28.1/44
2. Providence, 16.9/26
3. Buffalo, 7.1/12
4. Hartford, 4.7/8
5. Detroit, 4.2/7
6. Pittsburgh, 3.9/7
T7. Minneapolis, 3.5/7
T7. Las Vegas, 3.5/6
9. Washington, D.C., 3.4/6
10. St. Louis, 3.3/6

 

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