First Round Of NHL's Stanley Cup Playoffs Sees Massive Ratings Increase
By Andrew Powell
Published on May 7, 2026.
The first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs saw a significant increase in ratings for the NHL, with TNT Sports reporting an average of 1.2 million viewers per contest across their family of networks, TNT, TBS, truTV and HBO Max. This is a 68% increase from the 2024-25 season and the highest ratings since ESPN added the National Hockey League back in the 2021-22 campaign. The average viewership for each brand is the largest ever for a Stanley Cup first round in the United States. Factors such as the Winter Olympics winning and storylines leading up to the playoffs included the Buffalo Sabres breaking their 14-year postseason drought and the Vegas Golden Knights leading the team into the playoffs. The rise in ratings was attributed to the fact that the NHL's games are on actual television.
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