The NHL saw its best conference semifinals on record, as ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, TBS, TNT and truTV averaged 1.9 million viewers for all second-round games. That figure is up 55% from last year and had the benefit of Big Data from Nielsen for the first time. TNT Sports and ESPN also had record conference semifinal averages on their own.
The Stanley Cup Playoffs overall are now averaging 1.4 million viewers after two rounds on U.S. airwaves for the best figure on record at this point. That number is up 63% from last year, and up 24% from the league’s previous high in 2024.
When Canadian audience numbers are tossed in, the NHL is also having its best viewership yet after two rounds. The North American average is now at 3.3 million viewers.
