Game 2 gets record ratings on NBC

NBC Sports' coverage of Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final on Monday night earned the best overnight rating (4.1 rating and 7 share) for a Game 2 on record (NHL overnight data prior to 1975 is unavailable) and was up 21 percent from last year's (3.4 rating for Game 2 of the series between Detroit and Pittsburgh).

NBC's broadcast of the game between the Philadelphia Flyers and Chicago Blackhawks peaked at a 4.7 rating and 8 share from 10:30-11 p.m. ET. The Chicago market delivered a 25.1/39, while Philadelphia earned an 18.5/29.

The Stanley Cup Final on NBC again won the night, as it did Saturday for Game 1, finishing No. 1 in prime time (2.4, Adults 18-49).

"These historic viewership numbers are the result of compelling stories and great play on the ice, two markets on fire for their teams, terrific coverage by our North American television partners, and a season's worth of unprecedented fan engagement on multiple platforms across North America," NHL Chief Operating Officer John Collins said in a statement. 

Last night's milestone comes on the heels of healthy ratings for Game 1, which earned the best overnight rating for a Game 1 in 11 years. The 2.8 overnight rating and 6 share was the highest since 1999, when Buffalo vs. Dallas did a 3.7 on Fox.

Canada also scored big during Game 1 of the Final, with CBC achieving an average audience of 3.16 million, an 83-percent increase from Game 1 in 2009.

NBC's two-game average overnight rating is a 3.5, the best for the first two games of a Stanley Cup Final in 11 years since the Buffalo-Dallas series in 1999 did a 3.8, and is up 17 percent over last year's 3.0 rating.

Top 10 Markets for First Two Games on NBC
1.    Chicago – 21.0
2.    Philadelphia – 15.9
3.    Buffalo – 8.8
4.    Pittsburgh – 4.5
5.    Indianapolis – 4.0
6.    Detroit – 3.8
7.    Ft. Myers – 3.5
8.    Las Vegas – 3.3
T9.     Orlando – 3.2
T9.     Columbus – 3.2
T9.     St. Louis – 3.2