PITTSBURGH, PA – MAY 31: Evgeni Malkin #71 of the Pittsburgh Penguins celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal during the third period in Game Two of the 2017 NHL Stanley Cup Final against the Nashville Predators at PPG Paints Arena on May 31, 2017 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Matt Kincaid/Getty Images)

If you would like to ask about or request ratings for a program or event on these networks, please reach Douglas on Twitter @SonOfTheBronx.

Ratings News and Notes

  • Coverage of Game 2 of the “2017 NHL Stanley Cup Final” between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Nashville Predators put NBCSN on top on Wednesday, May 31 in prime time among adults 18-49 (approx. 1.2 rating) and adults 18-34 (approx. 1.0 rating), as well as a virtual tie with Fox for the lead in adults 25-54 (approx. 1.4 rating).

    Pittsburgh Penguins’ 4-1 victory over the Nashville Predators averaged a Total Audience Delivery (TAD) of 3.278 million viewers, up 27 percent vs. last year’s Game 2 between the Penguins and San Jose Sharks (2.579 million), according to The Nielsen Company.

    Despite neither Nashville (#29) nor Pittsburgh (#23) being a Top 20 TV market, the contest was the second-most watched Stanley Cup Final Game 2 on cable since 2002 (Carolina-Detroit, ESPN, 3.782 million), behind only Boston-Chicago in 2013 (3.964 million), which are the #9 and #3 TV markets.

    Game 2 (8:09 p.m. – 11:13 p.m. ET) peaked with 3.8 million TV-only viewers during the 9:45-10 p.m. ET quarter-hour. The full contest registered a 1.84 household rating, and averaged 3.18 million TV-only viewers, up 28 percent and 27 percent, respectively, vs. Game 1 a year ago (1.44 household rating; 2.507 million viewers).

    Locally, Pittsburgh delivered a 31.1 local rating, the best ever for a Penguins game in the market on NBCSN, surpassing all previous Stanley Cup Final games on the network. Nashville posted a 16.3 local rating, the market’s second-best ever for a Predators game on NBCSN, trailing only last month’s Game 6 vs. Anaheim in the Western Conference Final (16.5). NBCSN was the No. 1 network overall in both markets during the game. (Source: NBC Sports)

    NBCSN was also Saturday night’s top network on June 3 in total viewers (approx. 2.9 million viewers), adults 18-49 (approx. 1.0 rating), adults 18-34 (approx. 0.8 rating), and adults 25-54 (approx. 1.2 rating). The cable sports network aired Game 3 of the “2017 NHL Stanley Cup Final” between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Nashville Predators. The game averaged a Total Audience Delivery (TAD) of 3.033 million viewers (2.953 million from TV), up 6 percent from last year’s Game 3 (Pittsburgh-San Jose June 4, 2016: 2.83 million).

    NBC Sports reported Pittsburgh was the game’s top rated market with a 22.2 local rating. The Predators’ 5-1 win registered a 16.6 rating in Nashville which was an all-time high for an NHL game on NBCSN within the market.

  • From May 26-June 3, NBCSN’s coverage of the 2017 America’s Cup sailing competition has averaged 117,000 viewers.

  • Days 2-4 of the USA Arena Pro Swim Series from Santa Clara, Calif. on NBCSN June 2-4 averaged 96,000 viewers. The 2016 edition had only aired on NBCSN on Sunday, June 5 — its average then was 89,000 viewers.

  • While the NASCAR Monster Cup Series: AAA 400 Drive for Autism race (3.36 million viewers) topped all FS1 telecasts for the week of May 29-June 4, it was at 16 percent below last year’s Dover race (3.99 million from May 15, 2016). Two days prior, on June 2, the NASCAR Camping Truck World Series: Bar Harbor 200 race also from Dover and also on FS1 (484,000 viewers) was down 7 percent from last year’s Jacob Companies 200 race from Dover (519,000 viewers from May 13, 2016).

  • Benefitting from its NASCAR race lead-in on June 4, the NHRA New England Nationals on FS1 (1.18 million viewers) delivered the fourth-best NHRA audience on-record (since 2002), according to Sports Media Watch. Rain pushed the 2016 NHRA New England Nationals to Monday, June 6, 2016 and had drawn 418,000 viewers.

  • The prelims of UFC 212 on FS1 on June 3 was 8 percent below last year’s UFC 199 prelims on the year-ago Saturday (June 4, 2016) in total viewers (732,000 vs. 798,000) but improved 4 percent among adults 18-49 (373,000 vs. 357,000).

NBCSN-logo__1308131338011

NBCSN Top 25 (and Select) Programs

NBCSN ratings for May 29-June 4 2017
Click on image grid for larger view

In total viewership for its entire week in Prime Time (8 p.m. to 11 p.m.), NBCSN is up less than 1 percent (931,000 vs. 927,000) from one week earlier and up +15 percent (931,000 vs. 811,000) from the same week one year ago (May 30-June 5, 2016).

In total viewership for its entire week in Total Day (6 a.m. to 5:59 a.m.), NBCSN is down -11 percent (198,000 vs. 222,000) from one week earlier and up +8 percent (198,000 vs. 184,000) from the same week one year ago (May 30-June 5, 2016).

Viewership averages for the following NBCSN programs of the week:

  • “Pro Football Talk Live AM” (May 29-June 2): 20,000 (12,000 adults 18-49)
  • “Dan Patrick Show” (May 30-June 2): 64,000 (31,000 adults 18-49)
  • “NASCAR America” (May 29-June 1): 79,000 (19,000 adults 18-49)

FS1logo

Fox Sports 1 Top 25 (and Select) Programs

FS1 ratings for May 29-June 4 2017
Click on image grid for larger view

In total viewership for its entire week in Prime Time (8 p.m. to 11 p.m.), FS1 is up +46 percent (243,000 vs. 167,000) from one week earlier and down -39 percent (243,000 vs. 400,000) from the same week one year ago (May 30-June 5, 2016).

In total viewership for its entire week in Total Day (6 a.m. to 5:59 a.m.), FS1 is up +83 percent (243,000 vs. 133,000) from one week earlier and up +34 percent (243,000 vs. 182,000) from the same week one year ago (May 30-June 5, 2016).

Viewership averages for the following FS1 programs of the week:

  • “Skip & Shannon: Undisputed” (FS1 May 29-June 2): 110,000 (61,000 adults 18-49)
  • “The Herd” (FS1 May 29-June 2): 89,000 (44,000 adults 18-49)
  • “The Herd” (FS2 May 29 & June 2): 19,000 (8,000 adults 18-49)
  • “Speak For Yourself” (FS1 May 29-June 1): 72,000 (33,000 adults 18-49)
  • “NASCAR Race Hub” (FS1 May 29-June 1): 160,000 (21,000 adults 18-49)
  • “NASCAR Race Hub Weekend Edition” (FS1 June 3): 284,000 (61,000 adults 18-49)
  • “MLB Whiparound” (FS1 May 29-June 2): 42,000 (21,000 adults 18-49)
  • “TMZ Sports” (FS1 May 29-June 2 late night): 34,000 (19,000 adults 18-49)
  • “TMZ Sports” (FS2 May 30 & June 1-2 9:00-9:30 a.m.): 8,000 (2,000 adults 18-49)

Bundesliga: Repesca: Braunschweig vs. Wolfsburg (Fox Deportes, May 29 2:19-4:31 p.m.) 19,000 viewers (12,000 adults 18-49)

Major League Soccer: Orlando City vs. Chicago Fire (Fox Deportes, June 4 7:30-10:01 p.m.) 64,000 viewers (51,000 adults 18-49)

NASCAR Monster Cup Series: AAA 400 Drive for Autism (Dover) (Fox Deportes, June 4 1:00-5:23 p.m.) 15,000 viewers (5,000 adults 18-49)

UFC 212 Prelim (Fox Deportes, June 3 8:00-10:00 p.m.) 65,000 viewers (35,000 adults 18-49)

FS2_logo

Fox Sports 2 Top 25 (and Select) Programs

FS2 ratings for May 29-June 4 2017
Click on image grid for larger view

In total viewership for its entire week in Prime Time (8 p.m. to 11 p.m.), FS2 is up +17 percent (28,000 vs. 24,000) from one week earlier and down -26 percent (28,000 vs. 38,000) from the same week one year ago (May 30-June 5, 2016).

In total viewership for its entire week in Total Day (6 a.m. to 5:59 a.m.), FS2 is up +38 percent (22,000 vs. 16,000) from one week earlier and down -8 percent (22,000 vs. 24,000) from the same week one year ago (May 30-June 5, 2016).

Source: Live+Same Day data, Nielsen Media Research

About Douglas Pucci

Douglas Pucci is a contributor to Programming Insider and blogger at Son of the Bronx.