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NEW YORK (AP) — The NHL said Tuesday the Stanley Cup Playoffs
this spring were the most-watched on record in the U.S. with an
average of 1.8 million viewers.
That surpassed the previous record of 1.56 million in 1996 and
is up 68% over last year.
ESPN reported this was the most-watched Cup final since 2019.
Carolina beat Vegas in six games in a final without some of the
biggest hockey markets in the country.
Some of the increase across sports ratings can be attributed to
a change in how Nielsen is counting viewers, but hockey is also
enjoying a popularity spike, especially among women, after the 4
Nations Face-Off and the Olympics and in light of shows like
“Heated Rivalry” and "Off Campus” putting it in front of a
different audience.
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