Monday night’s first round, Game 7 matchup between the New Jersey Devils and New York Rangers concluded the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, being broadcast for the second-consecutive year on networks owned and operated by The Walt Disney Company and Warner Bros. Discovery Sports. The action contained a plethora of unexpected outcomes – including the Florida Panthers tying Game 7 against the Boston Bruins in the final minute and subsequently winning the contest in overtime to eliminate the best regular season team of all time.
Akin to the Bruins setting the record for most wins and points in a regular season, TNT’s broadcast of Game 7 shattered a record by reaching an average of 3.2 million viewers, making it the most-watched first round game of all time on cable. It is also the highest mark for a first round contest on any network in over a decade, surpassing Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals between the Bruins and Washington Capitals in April 2012. Viewership for the game peaked at 4.1 million.
With their defeat of the Avalanche, the Kraken became the only expansion franchise in NHL history to earn its first playoff series win against a defending Stanley Cup champion. That Game 7 telecast, which immediately followed the Bruins-Panthers matchup, amassed over 2 million viewers, rendering it the most-watched late window game in the first round ever. Overall, Warner Bros. Discovery Sports has now broadcast the four most-watched first round games on cable. TNT and TBS combined to average 959,000 viewers throughout its broadcasts of the first round action.
Warner Bros. Discovery Sports’ broadcast of the second round of the NHL Playoffs will commence on Thursday, May 4 as the Florida Panthers battle the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals at 7 p.m. EST/4 p.m. PST on TNT. Then at 9:30 p.m. EST/6:30 p.m. PST, the Seattle Kraken face the Dallas Stars in the second game of the Western Conference Semifinals. TNT will broadcast its first-ever Stanley Cup Final this season as part of its seven-year media rights agreement with the National Hockey League.
