Several RSNs saw record ratings for NHL coverage during the regular season. Root Sports Pittsburgh led all U.S.-based NHL teams for the fourth straight year with a 12.66 local rating for Penguins games. That figure also marked the highest RSN rating among any NHL, NBA or MLB team since ’02. Comcast SportsNet Chicago also saw record ratings for the Blackhawks. The net averaged a 5.38 local rating, marking the best Blackhawks rating in the history of Chicago RSNs. The net this season also had the 33 highest-rated Blackhawks games in Chicago RSN history. MSG Networks saw gains for all three N.Y.-area NHL teams. Rangers games on MSG were up 67%, while MSG+ saw a 133% jump for Islanders telecasts and a 42% jump for Devils games. NESN also saw a 35% jump for Bruins telecasts. In Canada, Sportsnet finished with a mixed bag for its five RSNs during the NHL regular season. Sportsnet East saw a 20% jump for Senators games, Sportsnet Ontario was up 14% for Maple Leafs games and Sportsnet West was up 31% for Oilers games. However, Sportsnet West was down 4% for Flames games and Sportsnet Pacific was down 9% for Canucks games.
PLAY LIKE CHAMPIONS: Fox Soccer finished with 277,000 viewers for the second leg of the UEFA Champions League semifinal between Bundesliga club Dortmund and La Liga club Real Madrid on Tuesday, marking the net’s fourth-best semifinal on record not involving an EPL team. Wednesday's other semifinal on FX -- the second leg between Bundesliga club Bayern Munich and La Liga club FC Barcelona -- drew 307,000 viewers, up from the net's telecast of the first leg of Dortmund-Real Madrid last week, which drew 153,000 viewers. Meanwhile, Fox Deportes for the first leg matches last week drew a combined 560,000 viewers for the two matches, marking the net’s best two-game semifinal average since it began airing Champions League matches in ’09-10.
NOTES: Fuel TV had its most-viewed month in April, buoyed by four live UFC weigh-ins and postfight shows, one live UFC Prelim and one UFC main card. April was up 67% in viewership compared to the same period last year.
The charts below lists final Nielsen ratings from recent sports telecasts.
| TELECAST | DATE | NET | TIME (ET) | RAT. | VIEWERS (000) |
| NASCAR Sprint Cup: Richmond | 4/27 | Fox | 7:47-11:07pm | 3.7 | 6,067 |
| NBA Eastern Conference First Round: Heat-Bucks: Game 4 | 4/28 | ABC | 3:30-6:00pm | 3.8 | 5,997 |
| NBA Eastern Conference First Round: Knicks-Celtics: Game 3 | 4/28 | ABC | 1:00-3:30pm | 3.3 | 4,852 |
| PGA Tour: Zurich Classic of New Orleans: Final Round | 4/28 | CBS | 3:00-6:00pm | 1.7 | n/a |
| MLB: (regional) | 4/27 | Fox | 1:00-4:00pm | 1.5 | 2,000 |
| PGA Tour: Zurich Classic of New Orleans: Third Round | 4/27 | CBS | 3:00-6:00pm | 1.0 | n/a |
| "NBA Countdown" | 4/28 | ABC | 12:30-1:00pm | 0.9 | 1,243 |
| Track & Field: Penn Relays | 4/27 | NBC | 1:00-3:00pm | 0.6 | 867 |
| Champions Tour: Legends of Golf: Final Round | 4/28 | CBS | 1:00-3:00pm | 0.6 | n/a |
| Rolex Equestrian Championships | 4/28 | NBC | 4:00-5:00pm | 0.5 | 700 |
CONCACAF Champions League Final:
Monterrey-Santos Laguna: First Leg | 4/24 | UniMas | 9:55pm-12:01am | 0.4 | 672 |
| Red Bull Signature Series | 4/28 | NBC | 5:00-6:00pm | 0.5 | 660 |
| NHL: Devils-Rangers | 4/27 | NBC | 3:00-6:00pm | 0.4 | 565 |
| Champions Tour: Legends of Golf: Second Round | 4/27 | CBS | 1:00-3:00pm | 0.4 | n/a |
| X Games: Iguazu Falls | 4/27 | ABC | 4:00-6:00pm | 0.3 | n/a |
| TELECAST | DATE | NET | TIME (ET) | RAT. | VIEWERS (000) |
| NFL Draft: First Round | 4/25 | ESPN | 8:00-11:47pm | 4.1 | 6,199 |
| NBA Western Conference First Round: Spurs-Lakers: Game 2 | 4/24 | TNT | 9:52pm-12:14am | 2.8 | 4,320 |
| NBA Western Conference First Round: Spurs-Lakers: Game 4 | 4/28 | TNT | 7:09-9:35pm | 2.3 | 3,513 |
| NBA Eastern Conference First Round: Celtics-Knicks: Game 2 | 4/23 | TNT | 8:09-10:46pm | 2.3 | 3,377 |
| NBA Western Conference First Round: Thunder-Rockets: Game 3 | 4/27 | ESPN | 9:49pm-12:20am | 2.1 | 3,257 |
| NBA Western Conference First Round: Nuggets-Warriors: Game 4 | 4/28 | TNT | 9:35pm-12:27am | 2.2 | 3,196 |
| NFL Draft: Second, Third Rounds | 4/26 | ESPN | 6:30-8:00pm | 2.2 | 3,167 |
| NBA Western Conference First Round: Grizzlies-Clippers: Game 2 | 4/22 | TNT | 10:46pm-1:42am | 2.2 | 3,102 |
| NBA Eastern Conference First Round: Bulls-Nets: Game 2 | 4/22 | TNT | 8:09-10:46pm | 2.1 | 2,988 |
| NBA Western Conference First Round: Warriors-Nuggets: Game 2 | 4/23 | TNT | 10:46pm-1:26am | 2.0 | 2,869 |
