2010 Stanley Cup Final Game 6 between the Chicago Blackhawks and Philadelphia Flyers on NBC Sports was the most-watched and highest-rated NHL game in 36 years.
Last night’s game – which saw the Blackhawks defeat the Flyers, 4-3, on a goal by Patrick Kane 4:06 into overtime to give Chicago its first Stanley Cup since 1961 and end the NHL’s longest championship drought – was watched by 8.28 million viewers, the most since 1974 (8.29 million viewers, Boston-Philadelphia, Game 3 on NBC), 43 percent higher than last year’s Game 6 (5.8 million viewers) and four percent higher than last year’s Game 7 (8.0 million).
Game 6 posted a national household rating of 4.7 and an 8 share, making it the highest-rated NHL game in 36 years (7.6/27, Boston-Philadelphia, Game 6, 1974 on NBC), 38 percent higher than last year’s Game 6 (3.4/6) and nine percent higher than last year’s Game 7 (4.3/8).
Additional Ratings Notes:
- Game 6 peaked at a 6.2/11 from 11-11:20 p.m. ET when Kane scored the game-winner and the Blackhawks celebrated their victory.
- NBC Sports broadcast four of the series’ six games (1-2, 5-6). Those four games averaged 6.1 million viewers, the best network-TV series average in 13 years (6.4 million, Detroit-Philadelphia, one game on Fox in 1997) and up nine percent vs. last year (5.6 million viewers).
- The average-series rating was a 3.4/6, the best on network TV in eight years (2002, 3.6/7, Carolina-Detroit on ABC) and up 10 percent vs. 2009 (3.1/6).
- Chicago averaged a 25.2/41 rating for the four network-TV games. Philadelphia averaged a 19.6/30.
TOP 10 MARKETS – GAME 6
1. Chicago 32.8/50
2. Philadelphia 26.8/38
3. Buffalo 13.5/20
4. Pittsburgh 9.7/14
T5. Detroit 6.3/10
T5. Indianapolis 6.3/10
7. Fort Myers 6.1/10
8. Minneapolis 5.9/11
9. Las Vegas 5.7/9
10. Boston 5.1/9
TOP NON-NHL MARKETS – GAME 6
1. Indianapolis 6.3
2. Ft Myers 6.1
3. Las Vegas 5.7
4. Milwaukee 5.0
5. Baltimore 4.5
6. Memphis 4.3
7. Seattle 4.1
8. West Palm 4.0
9. Orlando 3.8
T10. San Diego 3.7
T10. Greensboro 3.7
Web numbers were really good for NHL.com too
· Video starts on NHL.com finished up 161 percent over last year for the entire playoffs
· Unique visitors to NHL.com were up 17 percent
· Page views were up 56 percent
· Mobile page views were up 181 percent
· For the Stanley Cup Final page views were up 88 percent and video starts 225 percent
· April was the most trafficked month in the history of NHL.com in terms of unique visitors surpassing 17 million
· NHL.com ranked as the number two site in terms of percentage change in unique visitors from March to April according to comScore.