Blackhawks-Lightning Game 1 on NBC is Most-Watched Stanley Cup Final in 18 Years

The first game of the 2015 Stanley Cup Final between the Chicago Blackhawks and the Tampa Bay Lightning, in which the Blackhawks defeated the Lightning by a score of 2-1, produced a 3.34 HH rating and averaged 5.547 million viewers, making it the most-watched Game 1 that did not require overtime in 18 years and NBC's second-most watched Stanley Cup Final Game 1 ever.

Viewership of last night's Game 1 (8:10-11 p.m. ET), in which the Blackhawks came from behind with two third-period goals, was up 16% compared to last year's Rangers-Kings Game 1 (4.785 million), which the Kings won by a score of 3-2 in overtime. The only Game 1 on NBC to surpass last night's viewership was the triple-overtime thriller between the Boston Bruins and Chicago Blackhawks in 2013, which averaged 6.315 million viewers.

The game peaked at 6.433 million viewers from 10:30-10:45 p.m. ET.

PRIMETIME

Game 1 was a winner for NBC. The network won the night with a 1.8 rating in the A18-49 demo, up 38% over its nearest competitor (FOX, 1.3). NBC ranked No. 1 from 8-11 p.m. ET among all broadcast and cable networks in A18-34, A18-49 and A25-54.

LOCAL

Chicago delivered a 28.0 metered market rating, its third-highest ever for a Blackhawks game on NBC, trailing only the Stanley Cup Final-clinching Game 6 matchups in 2013 and 2010. Last night's Game 1 rating was up 12% vs. Game 1 in 2013 (25.1), and up 66% vs. Game 1 in 2010 (16.9).

Tampa drew a 17.9 rating, the highest rating ever in the market for a Lightning game on any NBC network, up 50% vs. last Friday's Eastern Conference Final Game 7 against the New York Rangers on NBCSN (11.9), and up 47% vs. Game 1 of the Lightning's last SCF appearance in 2004 against Calgary (ESPN; 12.2).

NBC was the No. 1 network in both markets during the game.

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