Stanley Cup Finals TV Ratings: 2012 Series Hits Lowest Numbers Since 2007

[marmar]

Jun 13, 2012 - After a four-year run of big market matchups with exciting storylines and rivalries, the Stanley Cup Finals took a dip and hit a five-year low.

The Stanley Cup Finals averaged 3.0 million viewers over six telecasts between NBC and the NBC Sports Network, down 33% from the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals and the worst average since 2007 (Ottawa vs. Anaheim), which ironically also featured a California team. The most-watched game of the series was Game 6, which drew 4.93 million viewers.

My personal take on the numbers is that, while not great, the numbers on NBC Sports Network were still pretty decent, considering all who complain about that channel not being available. The LA market numbers are encouraging, and you have to hope some of those people stick with the game. And in the end, it's still a lot better than that Ottawa-Anaheim series, which was considered rock bottom for the league on TV five years ago. The TV deal's not going anywhere, so we move on.

Overall, the Stanley Cup Playoffs averaged 1.0 million viewers for the post-season, the best audience since ESPN averaged 1.3 million for the 2002 Playoffs. NBC and NBC Sports Network combined averaged 1.4 million viewers, up 3% from last year. NBC alone, however, was the lone negative, with their viewership dropping 21%, mostly from the Conference Finals and the Stanley Cup Finals. ........(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.sbnation.com/nhl/2012/6/13/3083145/stanley-cup-finals-tv-ratings-2012-series-hits-lowest-numbers-since

[madinmaryland]

1. Hmm. Los Angeles and East Rutherford, NJ. Two bastions of hockey!!

[El Supremo]

2. The Colorado Rockies lost again???

[KamaAina]

5. The Devils have played in Newark for a few years now

but apparently Newark is English for "San Jose". (insert "choke" emoticon here)

[madinmaryland]

7. Newark, Delaware??

[KamaAina]

8. That was the whole problem

the Devils kept confusing the blue line with the Maryland state line, and so kept getting called for offside.

[fishwax]

3. that's what happens when you have small-market teams in the finals

Oh, wait ...

[KamaAina]

6. That's what happens when you have a 6 vs. an 8 in the finals

[KamaAina]

4. This is exactly what I've been screaming about for weeks

L.A. IS a big market -- the second-biggest, in fact. Just not a big HOCKEY market. Yet their mediocre, offensively-challenged squad kept chewing up all the real teams in the West (and Phoenix).

Meanwhile, NJ is a hard-core hockey market -- just not a big one, with three teams in the Tri-State area.

For me, the season was over when Henrique snuffed out the Rangers in OT.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

9. Series had no drama

Simple as that......Game 6 was also over in the first.

[ProfessorGAC]

10. Until The Canadian Trogodytes . . .

. . . that run the NHL realize that the Olympic and world Champ hockey draws MORE ratings than the Stanley Cup, and THEY BAN fighting, the NHL will suffer this.

Good.
GAC