NBC drew a 4.2 overnight rating for the Blackhawks' win over the Lightning in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final last night, marking the net's second-best opener since it acquired NHL rights prior to the '05-06 season. The 4.2 rating is below only the triple OT Blackhawks-Bruins opener in '13, which drew a 4.8 overnight. Game 1 last night is up 11% from a 3.8 overnight for the Kings-Rangers opener last year, which went to OT. The game drew a 28.0 local rating in Chicago, as the Blackhawks scored two late third period goals to take the win. That figure marks NBC's third-best rating ever in Chicago for an NHL game, behind only Stanley Cup Final Game 6 in '10 and '13 (Blackhawks clinchers). Last night's game also drew a 17.9 local rating in Tampa-St. Pete, which is the best ever in the market for an NHL game (Austin Karp, Assistant Managing Editor).
RATINGS CRYSTAL BALL: FIVE THIRTY EIGHT's Nate Silver wrote the Blackhawks are "a pretty good draw for NBC," because "they have the fourth-largest fan base" among U.S.-based NHL teams. The Lightning, "however, are sixth from the bottom." It is "roughly an average matchup for NBC, and the series is liable to get about average ratings: probably in the neighborhood of 2.5 for the first two games, 1.5 for Games 3 and 4 on NBCSN, and then 3.0 or higher if the series makes it to Game 5 and beyond" (FIVETHIRTYEIGHT.com, 6/3).
BUYING LOCAL: In Chicago, Ed Sherman notes CSN Chicago "hasn't aired a Blackhawks game since the first round of the playoffs," but the RSN "still is cashing in on the team's bid for a third Stanley Cup." CSN Chicago "has scored big numbers with its 'Pre/Postgame Live' shows that bracket Blackhawks playoff games that air on NBC and NBCSN." After Western Conference Finals Game 7 last Saturday night, the net "went from a miniscule 0.1 to a 1.83 rating for its postgame show." CSN Chicago host Pat Boyle said, "Ten years ago when we started, I hoped we would create a niche where we would try to bookend the games with pre- and postgame shows. It’s takes a while to get the audience in that habit. But over time, we’ve shown those shows are ours" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 6/4).
