Posted by Bud on June 01, 2010 at 16:02:38:
In Reply to: Chicago Blackhawks Deliver Big Wins & Record Ratings posted by Bud on June 01, 2010 at 15:30:33:
Courtesy of Phil Rosenthal at the Chicago Tribune:
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May 30, 2010
Blackhawks TV: Top-rated Stanley Cup Game 1 in 11 years
With almost 3 percent of homes in the nation's metered markets tuned in, NBC's Saturday-night coverage of Stanley Cup finals opener between the Chicago Blackhawks and Philadelphia Flyers scored the highest overnight TV ratings for a Game 1 since 1999.
That 2.8 overnight household rating represents a 12 percent increase over Game 1 of last year's National Hockey League title series between Pittsburgh and Detroit, which was on a Saturday night not on Memorial Day weekend.
But it pales in comparison to TNT's 5.8 overnight household rating for Saturday night's decisive Western Conference finals Game 6 in which the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Phoenix Suns to earn a matchup with the Boston Celtics in the National Basketball Association finals beginning Thursday.
In Chicago, on WMAQ-Ch. 5, Saturday's game averaged a 16.8 household rating (which translates to more than 588,000 area homes) and 35 percent of all homes watching TV at the time. That's their highest ratings in recent memory, although only a little more than half what the Chicago Bears drew for their prime-time December overtime regular-season football victory over Minnesota.
Among the nation's top 56 markets tracked overnight, Philadelphia was second only to Chicago, both on the ice and in the ratings, with a 13.2 household rating and 25 percent share of those watching TV in that market Saturday night. But Philadelphia viewers undoubtedly were distracted early in the game as Phillies ace Roy Halladay was locking up just the 20th perfect game in Major League Baseball modern history.
The overall overnight number was the NHL's best for a Stanley Cup finals Game 1 since Buffalo met Dallas on Fox in 1999. That game got a 3.7 household rating. Thanks to the Blackhawks and Flyers, NBC was the top-rated broadcast network among advertiser-coveted viewers between the ages of 18 and 49 with a 1.7 rating in that demographic.