The NHL‘s Stanley Cup Playoffs Round 1 concluded with impressive viewership numbers, particularly for the historic Game 7 between the Boston Bruins and the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Across various networks in the U.S., the playoff games averaged 934,000 viewers, marking the second-highest viewership for a first round in NHL history.
The overall North American viewership was even more impressive, averaging 2.2 million viewers, which represents a 6% increase from the 2023 playoffs.
The standout moment was Saturday’s Game 7 between the Bruins and the Maple Leafs, which drew 3.22 million viewers on ABC alone. When considering Canadian viewership, the game reached a total of 8.82 million viewers across ABC, CBC, Sportsnet, and TVA Sports, making it the most-watched first-round game in North America on record.
This Game 7 also set records as the most-viewed Game 7 of a Stanley Cup first round, the most-viewed first-round game since 2012, and the third-most-viewed first-round game overall.
The Bruins’ victory over the Maple Leafs, with a score of 2-1, marked the Leafs’ seventh first-round loss in eight seasons, prompting frustration among Canadian fans. The last Canadian team to win the Stanley Cup was the Montreal Canadiens in 1993.
In the U.S., the first-round games were broadcast on ESPN, ESPN2, ABC, TNT, TBS, TruTV, and the streaming service Max.
The second round commenced on Sunday with Game 1 between the New York Rangers and the Carolina Hurricanes, which averaged 2 million viewers on ESPN (peaking at 2.7 million). This marked a significant increase of 49% and 33%, respectively, from the Game 1 average of the second round last season. On Monday night, the Boston Bruins defeated the Florida Panthers, last year’s Stanley Cup runner-up, with a score of 5-1.
The second round continues tonight with Game 2 between the Carolina Hurricanes and the New York Rangers in the East, and Game 1 between the Dallas Stars and the Colorado Avalanche in the West.
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