Bruins and Flyers break ratings record for NBC Sports
The Bruins and Flyers ended up in prime time on Sunday night at Lake Tahoe, and it was a ratings bonanza.
As announced by NBC Sports and the NHL on Wednesday, Sunday’s much-delayed game between the Bruins and Flyers turned out to be the most-watched regular season game in NBCSN history. The game drew a total of 1.068 million viewers, surpassing the previous mark of 978,000 and marking the first time a regular season game passed the 1 million milestone.
The Bruins-Flyers game was originally scheduled for a 3 p.m. ET start on Sunday, before weather problems – ironically, excessive sunlight – forced delays to later in the afternoon. It also moved from NBC to NBCSN, meaning it became a cable broadcast rather than network TV.
Thus, the Bruins and Flyers also delivered the highest ratings for an NHL broadcast on cable since the Red Wings and Sharks played in 2002 on ESPN.
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The Colorado Avalanche and Vegas Golden Knights also delivered relatively high ratings, despite the broadcast being split into two distinct parts. The first period of the game drew 1.368 million viewers in the 3-4:30 p.m. window, up 30 percent from last season’s average numbers for a regular season game, outside of the 2020 Winter Classic.
PHOTOS: Bruins vs Flyers at Lake Tahoe
Matt Dolloff is a writer and podcaster for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Have a news tip, question, or comment for Matt? Yell at him on Twitter @mattdolloff and follow him on Instagram @mattydsays. You can also email him at mdolloff@985thesportshub.com.
