SHARKSPAGE

Versus ratings up for the first two games of the San Jose-Detroit series, Sunday’s Sharks-Wings most watched Conference Semifinal game in 10 years

Versus numbers for the first two nationally broadcast games of the San Jose-Detroit WCSF playoff series:

Game 1 – Thursday, April 29th – 1.4 HH, 1.45 million viewers
Game 2 – Sunday, May 2nd – 1.6 HH, 1.77 million viewers

The Sharks-Wings series is drawing impressive numbers for Versus. Recently released Nielsen live-plus-same-day numbers point to the largest NHL Conference Semi cable viewing audience in 10 years for San Jose’s 4-3 win over Detroit Sunday night. 1.77 million viewers watched Joe Pavelski light up the Wings for 3 points, and Joe Thornton score the game winner as the Sharks took a 2-0 series lead. Game 1 SJ-DET viewership was also up over 140,000 from the 1.31 million Conference Semifinal average on the network.

“The Sharks have been one of the top teams in the league the past few years, but have never raised the coveted Stanley Cup,” Marc Fein, Versus EVP of Programming, Production and Business Operations said of the viewership boom for San Jose vs Detroit. “This year they’re the top-seeded team in the West with a roster full of household names battling against the Red Wings, one of the NHL’s most storied teams with multiple Cup wins recently, so it’s natural that games in this series will draw huge national interest.”

According to a press release, Versus Conference Semifinal coverage is up 91% over comparable numbers last season, and is strong in many key demographics: Men 18-34 (up 78%), Men 18-49 (up 69%) and Men 25-54 (up 76%). Versus averaged a .7 HH rating and 595,000 viewers during the first round when many regional networks had exclusive coverage rights. It was a 24% increase over last year.

According to Sports Business Journal media reporter John Ourand’s twitter messages, game 2 of the Sharks-Wings series placed 310th on cable in the timeslot with 1.2 million homes. Steve Lepore at Puck the Media notes that the fact that game 2 competed with a solid National League rivalry in Mets-Phils, and earned respectable numbers, is a sign that league viewership is on the upswing.

Comcast Sportsnet California ratings for San Jose-Colorado WCQF series:

Game 1 – Wednesday, April 14th – 3.85
Game 2 – Friday, April 16th – 4.40
Game 3 – Sunday, April 18th – 3.70
Game 4 – Tuesday, April 20th – 4.70
Game 5 – Thursday, April 22nd – 4.15, 104k households, 140k peak
Game 6 – Saturday, April 24th (ratings not available)

[Update] Versus Nets NHL Playoff Highs – Mediaweek.

[Update2] Versus Scores With Red Wings/Sharks – Sports Media Watch.

The Sharks’ Game 2 win over the Red Wings drew 1.8 million viewers on Versus Sunday night, the most for any second round Stanley Cup Playoff game ever on Versus. Sunday’s game ranks as the most-viewed second round game on cable since Avalanche/Red Wings on ESPN in ’00 (1.9 mil).

To put these numbers in perspective, it was just three years ago that Versus averaged fewer than one million viewers for coverage of the Stanley Cup Final

4 Responses to “Versus ratings up for the first two games of the San Jose-Detroit series, Sunday’s Sharks-Wings most watched Conference Semifinal game in 10 years”