The NHL’s opening weekend of the Stanley Cup Playoffs (six games) averaged 1.03 million viewers (Saturday and Sunday). The playoffs started on a Monday and Tuesday in primetime last year, and eight games across ESPN, ESPN2 and TBS averaged 641,000 viewers. ESPN, TBS/truTV and ESPN2 this year delivered the three most-watched first round Game 1s on record for cable TV in the U.S. Capitals-Rangers Game 1 on Sunday afternoon led the way on cable with 1.3 million viewers (peaking at 1.5 million), followed by Maple Leafs-Bruins Game 1 on TBS/truTV on Saturday night with 1.1 million (30% of the audience was for the alt-cast on truTV). ESPN2 also drew 1.1 million for Avalanche-Jets Game 1 on Sunday night, which is that net’s best first round NHL game ever. There were no playoff games on broadcast TV on opening weekend.
Opening weekend of Stanley Cup playoffs averages just over a million viewers
