Chicago Hope: Blackhawks' Local Audience Helping Drive NBC, NBSN Ratings

The Blackhawks' local ratings in the Chicago market during the NHL playoffs are "having a huge impact on the overall national rating for their games on NBC and NBC Sports Network," according to Ed Sherman of the CHICAGO TRIBUNE. NBC Sports Net's Blackhawks-Red Wings Western Conference Semifinals Game 3 on Monday drew "nearly 300,000 viewers" in Chicago, comprising "nearly 20 percent of the estimated 1.6 million viewers who tuned in across the country." NBC Sports Exec Producer Sam Flood said, "A big market like Chicago, which is as hot a market as you can have in terms of TV ratings, makes a difference. Your ratings are going to be dramatically different for Ottawa-Edmonton than if you have Chicago, Boston or Detroit playing." The team's appeal also is "seen in Flood's choice of announcers for the series: The No. 1 line of Mike Emrick, Ed Olcyzk and Pierre McGuire." In "virtually every other scenario, they would be assigned" to the Bruins-Rangers series (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 5/22).