NBC Delivers the Most-Watched Stanley Cup Final on Record

8.16 million viewers watched the Chicago Blackhawks win the Stanley Cup on NBC, as ratings for the final grew 91 percent over 2012.

Monday's Game 6 (8:15-11 p.m. ET) of the 2013 Stanley Cup Final, in which the Chicago Blackhawks defeated the Boston Bruins, 3-2, to claim their second Stanley Cup in four years, was watched by 8.16 million viewers on NBC, up 66 percent vs. last year’s Game 6 and making it the second-most watched Game 6 since 1994, according to official data released today by The Nielsen Company.

Game 6 was the culmination of an exciting Stanley Cup Final. Two "Original Six" teams, three overtime contests — including an epic triple-overtime in Game 1 — and extremely tight games (Chicago and Boston were tied or separated by one goal 87 percent of the time) propelled the series to be the most-watched Stanley Cup Final on record, averaging 5.76 million viewers across NBC and NBC Sports Network (NBCSN) (data available since 1994).

Overall, the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs averaged 1.467 million viewers on NBC, NBC Sports Network and CNBC (84 games), making it the most-watched post-season since 1997 (1.52 million on ESPN/ESPN2/FOX) and up 18 percent vs. last year (1.241).

Game 6

Monday night's game drew a 4.7 U.S. household rating and 8.16 million viewers on NBC, up 52 percent and 66 percent, respectively, vs. last year (3.1 and 4.929 million viewers). This year’s series-clinching contest was the second-most watched Stanley Cup Final Game 6 since 1994, trailing only Chicago’s 2010 series-clinching Game 6 against Philadelphia (6/9/10, 8.279 million).

Stanley Cup Playoffs is Most-Watched Since 1997

For the entire playoffs, NBC, NBCSN and CNBC combined to average 1.467 million viewers for 84 games, making it the most-watched Stanley Cup Playoffs on record (since 1994) and up 18 percent vs. last year (1.241 million for 81 games).

The 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs set new records for NBC Sports Network, averaging 1.209 million viewers for 55 games, up 17 percent vs. last year (1.030 million, 52 games).

NBCSN and CNBC combined to average 1.000 million viewers over 72 Stanley Cup Playoff games, making the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs the most-watched post-season on cable since 1999 (ESPN/ESPN2, 1.022 million).

(Photo: AP Images)

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