MSG Network drew a 4.47 local rating in N.Y. for Capitals-Islanders first round Game 7 on Monday night, marking the highest rating for an Isles game on the RSN since the net began tracking ratings in '91. For the entire Caps-Isles series (five telecasts), MSG Net averaged a 2.49 local rating, marking a first-round record for the Isles. The 2.49 rating is up 65% from the team's last playoff appearance in '13 (five telecasts for the opening series against the Penguins). Game 7 of the series also drew a 4.94 local rating in DC on CSN Mid-Atlantic, with the RSN drawing a 3.11 rating in Baltimore. The figure in Baltimore was market's best rating for a Capitals game Capitals-Bruins First Round Game 7 in '12. It also was the second-best Capitals rating in Baltimore since the '09 playoffs. CSN Mid-Atlantic averaged a 3.28 rating in DC for the series (five telecasts), while Baltimore averaged a 2.45. The figure in DC is down 32% from a 4.82 average rating for six telecasts during the Capitals last first round series against the Rangers in '13. The average in Baltimore relatively flat. Meanwhile, MSG Net averaged a 4.64 local rating in N.Y. for the five-game Rangers-Penguins Stanley Cup Playoffs series, marking the Rangers’ highest-rated first round series on the RSN. The 4.64 rating is up 38% from the seven-game Rangers-Flyers series last year. The series also delivered record numbers among adults 25-54. That demo drew a 3.32 rating, up 48% from last year (Austin Karp, Assistant Managing Editor).
FOLLOW THE NORTH STAR: In St. Paul, Bob Sansevere noted Wild-Blues Game 3 on April 20 drew a 13.9 local rating on FS North in the Minneapolis-St. Paul market, marking the "second-highest ever for a Wild playoff game." Game 4 was the low mark of the first round series, drawing a 10.9 local rating last Wednesday. FS North Senior VP & GM Mike Dimond said of whether the Wild's playoff ratings are better than expected, "Yes, they are. Game 1 had a 13.2, which was 63 percent higher than Game 1 last year against Colorado." Dimond said of Game 4 only drawing a 10.9 local rating due to the Blues winning 6-1, "I actually was surprised it held at a 10.9. That's a really strong number, though people did check out." Dimond said of not having coverage of the series-clinching Game 6 this past Sunday, which aired nationally on NBC, "We were disappointed not being able to televise the game. We're still able to provide a lot of value to the fans, delivering pre- and postgame coverage of the game" (ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS, 4/27).
