NBC Sports Network Scores Record NHL Regular Season Ratings

OVERTIME GAME LIFTS NHL AND NBC SPORTS NETWORK TO A NEW CABLE ZENITH

By Douglas Pucci
Follow @SonOfTheBronx

The four-month lockout of the National Hockey League (NHL) has not put a damper on fan and viewer interest upon its recent return to game action, as NBC Sports Network experienced Wednesday night (January 23).

The first NHL regular season game to exclusively air on the cable network, which featured a 4-3 overtime victory by the New York Rangers over the Boston Bruins, became the most-watched regular season game in the history of NBC Sports Network/Versus and the most-watched regular season game on cable in 11 years, delivering 956,000 total viewers and 559,000 viewers in the Adults 18-49 demographic, according to Nielsen.

The game kicked off the network’s brand new “Wednesday Night Rivalry” telecasts this season.

During the game’s second period, for the 8:45-9:00pm Eastern time segment, the audience peaked at 1.09 million total viewers.

Also:

NBCSN drew a 2.0 in New York (highest-ever rating for regular season NHL) and a 6.9 in Boston (second-highest behind ’11 opener) for BOS/NYR

— Steve Lepore (@stevelepore) January 24, 2013

Follow @MarcBermanMrTV