NBC Sports Group's comprehensive coverage of the 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs continues Tuesday with three matchups across NBCSN and CNBC, highlighted by Game 4 of the Vegas Golden Knights-Los Angeles Kings series at 10:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN, as the Knights look to become the first franchise in NHL history to sweep a playoff series in its inaugural season.
Tonight's coverage on NBCSN begins at 7:30 p.m., when the Washington Capitals visit the Columbus Blue Jackets in Game 3 of their series, with the Blue Jackets leading 2-0. Pre-game coverage begins tonight at 6:30 p.m. on NBCSN with "NHL Live."
CNBC's coverage of the Stanley Cup Playoffs begins at 8 p.m., as the Winnipeg Jets visit the Minnesota Wild in Game 4 of their first-round series, with Winnipeg leading 2-1.
Ratings
With compelling matchups, outstanding performances and intriguing storylines, viewership for the first five days of the 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs across the networks of NBCUniversal is the best in four years - and up 5 percent over 2017.
Total audience delivery (TAD) for 18 games across NBC, NBCSN, CNBC, USA Network, NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app has averaged 761,000 viewers. It is the best average viewership through five days since 2014 (833,000 viewers), is up 5 percent from last year (724,000) and up 13 percent vs. 2016 (671,000). The household rating for the playoffs on all platforms through five days is a 0.45, up 7 percent vs. 2017 (0.42).
Opening weekend coverage on NBC averaged a TAD of 1.888 million viewers for three games, also the best in four years (2014; 2.151 million), and up 30 percent vs. 2017 (1.451). NBC averaged a 1.13 household rating this past weekend, up 33 percent vs. last year's 0.85.
Sunday afternoon's Game 3 between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia on NBC is the most-watched game of the playoffs to date, averaging a TAD of 2.327 million viewers, up 49 percent vs. the comparable game last year (Minnesota-St. Louis), and the most-watched opening weekend game in three years. TV viewership peaked with 2.604 million viewers from 5:15-5:30 p.m. ET.
NBCSN is averaging a TAD of 649,000 viewers, the best in six years (2012; 662,000 viewers) and up 11 percent vs. last year (586,000). The most-watched game on NBCSN so far was played on Sunday night between Columbus and Washington, averaging a TAD of 792,000 viewers. Viewership for the game peaked on TV from 11-11:12 p.m. with 1.145 million viewers.
Also of note, regionalized coverage of Colorado-Nashville and New Jersey-Tampa Bay on NBC/CNBC on Saturday afternoon averaged a TAD of 1.702 million viewers, up 51 percent vs. coverage of Boston-Ottawa on NBC last year (1.130 million viewers).
Streaming coverage of the 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs have set all-time records for uniques (655,000; up 49 percent vs. last year), total live minutes (67.8 million; up 28 percent), and average minute audience (22,000 viewers; up 47 percent).
