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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, June 13th, 2012

2012 STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS VIEWERSHIP RECAP

NEW YORK – June 13, 2012 – After 86 games, including 25 overtime games and 50 one-goal games, the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs have concluded with the Los Angeles Kings winning their first Stanley Cup in their 45-season history.

The playoffs marked another first, as this was the first time in the NHL’s 95-year history that every playoff game was televised nationally. The NBC Sports Group presented all 86 games nationally on either NBC, NBC Sports Network, CNBC or the NHL Network. The result was numerous viewership records and milestones, according to data released by The Nielsen Company.

Highlights:

• The Conference Quarterfinals averaged 936,000 viewers on NBC, NBC Sports Network and CNBC, making them the most-watched first round on record (since 1994).
  • The Conference Semifinals averaged 1.32 million viewers across NBC, NBC Sports Network & CNBC, the best on record (since 1994).

• Through three rounds, the 2012 Playoffs averaged 1.09 million viewers on NBC, NBC Sports Network & CNBC, the most-watched in 15 years (1.237 on FOX/ESPN/ESPN2 in 1997).

• In Los Angeles, the Cup-clinching Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final received a 13.6 household rating, the highest local rating ever in the market for a NHL playoff game on broadcast television on record (since 1976).

• For the entire playoffs, NBC Sports Network averaged 1.030 million viewers, the highest audience for a single cable network since 2002 (ESPN; 1.295 million viewers).

• NBC Sports Network was up 43% from last year in the advertiser-coveted M18-34 demo (237,000 viewers vs. 166,000).

• For the entire playoffs, NBC and NBC Sports Network combined to average 1.403 million viewers, up four percent vs. last year (1.355 million).

• NBC, NBC Sports Network and CNBC combined to average 1.241 million viewers for the entire playoffs. There is no comparison to last year as this is the first year that all playoff games were aired nationally and the first time CNBC aired NHL playoff games. The NHL Network also televised six games. It is not rated.

• Six local markets – Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville, New York, Phoenix and St. Louis — set all-time viewership records for NHL games in their respective markets on NBC Sports Network:

• Los Angeles, New York, St. Louis and Washington also set local marks for NHL games on NBC in their respective markets (see below).

• The NBC Sports Group presented all 86 games of the 2012 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs. The following chart breaks down the playoff games by network. *The chart includes Devils-Panthers Conference Quarterfinal Game 7 that was joined in progress and also aired on NHL Network.

Round by Round:

CONFERENCE QUARTERFINALS

• Averaged 936,000 viewers on NBC, NBC Sports Network and CNBC, making them the most-watched first round on record (cable data not available prior to 1994).

• Averaged 744,000 viewers on NBC Sports Network, making them the most-watched in NBC Sports Network (formerly VERSUS) history, up 16% vs. 2011 (642,000), and the highest on a cable channel in 11 years (ESPN, 745,000 in 2001).

• Averaged 2.57 million viewers on NBC, up 39% vs. last year (1.85). The most-watched Conference Quarterfinals on broadcast television since 1998 (2.76/FOX).

• Capitals-Bruins Game 6 on NBC averaged 3.5 million viewers, making it the most-watched Conference Quarterfinal game since the advent of Nielsen People Meters (1987).

• Washington did an 8.6 household rating, the best in the market on broadcast television for an NHL game since 2004.

• Capitals-Bruins Game 7 on NBC Sports Network averaged 1.32 million viewers, making it the most-watched first-round game on cable in 12 years (1.51/San Jose-St. Louis, Game 7 in 2000 on ESPN).

• It was also up 43 percent vs. last year’s comparable game (926,000; Washington-Montreal, Game 7) and was the most-watched first-round game in NBC Sports Network history.

CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS

• Averaged 1.32 million viewers across NBC, the NBC Sports Network & CNBC, up 28% vs. last year and best on record.

• Averaged 1.29 million viewers on the NBC Sports Network, up 43% vs. last year and best on record for a single cable network.

• Game 3 of the series between the New York Rangers and Washington Capitals, which went to triple overtime, was watched by 1.85 million viewers on the NBC Sports Network and was the most-watched 2012 Conference Semifinal game on cable.

• In Washington, Rangers-Capitals Game 7 received a 7.7 household rating, up 18% vs. 2011. The game received the second-highest local rating ever in the market for a NHL game on the NBC Sports Network.

• In St. Louis, Blues-Kings Game 1 received an 8.1 household rating, the best in that market for an NHL game on broadcast television since 2004.

CONFERENCE FINALS

• Through three rounds, the 2012 Playoffs averaged 1.09 million viewers on NBC, NBC Sports Network & CNBC, making them the most-watched in 15 years (1.237 on FOX/ESPN/ESPN2 in 1997).

• The Western Conference Finals averaged 1.02 million viewers for the four games on NBC Sports Network, up 18 percent over last year’s Western Conference Finals (San Jose-Vancouver, 863,000). NBC Sports Network aired Games 1, 2, 3 and 5. NBC aired Game 4, averaging 1.4 million viewers, down slightly vs. last year (Vancouver-San Jose, 1.5 million).

• The Eastern Conference Finals averaged 1.39 million viewers on NBC Sports Network, down from 2011 (1.71 million).

• In New York, Game 5 of Rangers-Devils received a 6.47 household rating, the highest local rating ever in the market for an NHL game on NBC Sports Network.

• In Phoenix, Game 1 Coyotes-Kings received a 5.56 household rating, the highest local rating ever in the market for a NHL game on the NBC Sports Network.

STANLEY CUP FINAL

• The Cup-clinching Game 6 was the most-watched game of the 2012 Stanley Cup Final with 4.93 million viewers.

• NBC ranked first in Monday night primetime among broadcast networks in the advertiser-coveted M18-49 and M18-34 demos.

• In Los Angeles, the Cup-clinching Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final received a 13.6 household rating, the highest local rating ever in the market for a NHL playoff game on broadcast television on record (since 1976).

• In New York, Game 1 received a 5.1, the highest local rating in the market since 2003 for a NHL playoff game on broadcast television (10.1/Anaheim-New Jersey Game 7/ABC).

• For the entire series, NBC and NBC Sports Network combined to average 3.01 million viewers, down from last year’s 4.57 million average.