The Chicago Blackhawks defeated the Anaheim Ducks in Game 7 and the only group potentially happier by the result than Blackhawks fans are the folks over at NBC. Game 7s are usually a hit in terms of ratings, but Game 7 between the Ducks and Blackhawks delivered a rating which exceeded even optimistic expectations.
As seen in the Chicago Tribune, Game 7 posted a 3.27 overnight rating on NBC. That number may not sound overly impressive, but it’s the highest rating for a non-Stanley Cup Final game in the network’s history. On a local level, NBC has a lot to cheer about. Chicago posted a 26.6 rating – the third-highest overall in that market and the largest for a non-Stanley Cup Final game. Meanwhile, things weren’t quite as positive in California where Los Angeles only had a 3.9 rating.
It’s safe to bet that NBC was hoping for a Blackhawks-Rangers series in order to capitalize on ratings, but they should be content with Chicago’s big ratings still in the mix. From here, it’ll be interesting to see how ratings for the Blackhawks-Lightning Final compares to previous seasons.
