Stanley Cup playoffs: NHL draws highest-ever postseason ratings, best Final since 2019
The NHL, like many other sports, is thriving right now. After turning in its best regular-season ratings in 14 years, the league carried that momentum into the playoffs, where it drew it's highest-ever postseason ratings, per Sports Business Journal.
An average of 1.8 million viewers watched NHL playoff games this season, breaking the previous record of 1.56 million, which was set back in 1996.
ESPN saw big numbers, with 2.2 million viewers across 43 playoff games. Viewership was up 127 percent across ABC, ESPN and ESPN2 compared with last season, per SBJ. TNT averaged fewer viewers, but still turned in its best playoff viewership, with 1.4 million average viewers.
Fans who tuned into the playoffs early were treated to some tense series. Throughout the first three rounds of the playoffs, at least eight series went six games or more. Of that bunch, two series went the full seven games. The Montreal Canadiens were involved in both.
When the dust settled, it was the Carolina Hurricanes and Vegas Golden Knights in the Final.
That was an enticing enough matchup for many hockey fans, as the Stanley Cup Final drew an average of 5.2 million viewers. That was the best figure by a Final since 2019, when the St. Louis Blues beat the Boston Bruins in seven games. That series averaged 5.5 million viewers, per SBJ.
Fans who tuned into the Final were treated to an exciting, six-game series. Despite Golden Knights coach John Tortorella essentially guaranteeing the series would extend to a seventh game, his team couldn't pull off that feat, losing the series in Game 6. Shortly after the end of the series, it was announced that Tortorella would not return to the team next season.
Some of the NHL's viewership jump is likely due to a new ratings-measurement system by Nielson. Thanks to that new method, sports viewership is up across all sports, with MLB and the NFL seeing ratings spikes in 2026. The NBA also saw some strong viewership numbers during the Finals.
