NBC Scores Record Numbers for NHL Openers

Excluding Winter Classics, it was the most-watched regular-season broadcast in 14 years

By Tim Baysinger -- Broadcasting & Cable, 1/23/2013 2:28:02 PM

It appears hockey fans were in a forgiving mood after all.

NBC's belated opening day of NHL coverage posted the best viewership numbers in network history and the best overall for the league in 14 years, according to Nielsen data.

Regional coverage of Chicago Blackhawks-Los Angeles Kings and Pittsburgh Penguins-Philadelphia Flyers was watched by 2.77 million viewers (1.6 HH rating). The coverage (3:25-6:09 p.m. ET) peaked at 3.82 million viewers in the final minutes of the broadcast, when most viewers were watching a one-goal Penguins-Flyers game.

Excluding Winter Classics, it was the most-watched NHL regular-season coverage since NBC began broadcasting the league in 2006, and the most for any network since 1999.

Locally, Pittsburgh (19.4), Philadelphia (7.8) and Chicago (6.6) scored their best-ever NBC ratings in those markets.