Last night’s Game 1 of the 2010 Stanley Cup Final produced the best overnight rating for a Game 1 in 11 years. The 2.8 overnight rating and 6 share for the Philadelphia Flyers-Chicago Blackhawks Game 1 is the best since 1999 (Buffalo vs. Dallas, 3.7 on Fox). NBC also won the night finishing No. 1 in primetime (1.7, A18-49).
The game — broadcast by NBC Sports on the Saturday night of Memorial Day weekend — also saw a 12-percent increase over last year’s Game 1 (Pittsburgh vs. Detroit, 2.5 on NBC), which was also on a Saturday night but not played during Memorial Day Weekend and was between the then-defending Stanley Cup champion Detroit Red Wings and the Pittsburgh Penguins, featuring Sidney Crosby.
The 2.8 overnight rating also ranks as the highest overnight rating for a Game 1 played on a Saturday in 13 years (since 1997 Detroit- Philadelphia, 5.1 on Fox).
Chicago led all markets with a 16.8 rating and 35 share. Philadelphia followed with a 13.2 rating and 25 share.
