Stanley Cup Final viewership through five games hits highest mark since 2013

While viewership for the deciding Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final is not out yet, viewership for the first five games is at its highest level since 2013.

Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final between the Carolina Hurricanes and Vegas Golden Knights averaged 5.8 million viewers. That marks the largest Game 5 audience since the Washington Capitals-Golden Knights series in 2018 on NBC (6.59 million).

Viewership peaked at 6.9 million viewers in the 9:30 p.m. quarter-hour.

Through Game 5, the Stanley Cup Final is averaging 5.1 million viewers. That is the highest audience for the first five games of a Stanley Cup Final since 2013.

The last time a full Stanley Cup Final averaged over 5 million viewers was the seven-game St. Louis Blues-Boston Bruins series in 2019, which averaged 5.3 million viewers.

The NHL is having a bit of a viewership moment recently, and Stanley Cup Final viewership suggests the momentum may not be slowing anytime soon. Notably, neither the Hurricanes nor the Golden Knights are traditional hockey powers.

If this series had featured an Original Six team or even just a team in a bigger market, viewership may have been even stronger.

But while viewership momentum is good for the NHL, caution is warranted. Next year’s Stanley Cup Final will be cable-only on TNT Sports, and that has been a viewership drag for the league in 2023 and 2025.

Unless the NHL convinces TNT to simulcast games over the air on its new sibling, CBS, maintaining these favorable ratings may prove difficult next year.