• Loading stock data...
Tuesday, July 29, 2025
Tuned In returns to NYC on September 16. Hear from the biggest names in sports media. Click here to get your spot

Stanley Cup Final Delivers Drama but Struggles for Eyeballs in U.S.

Three overtime games and a generous helping of major stars haven’t particularly helped viewership for the Stanley Cup Final between the Oilers and Panthers. 

Sergei Belski-Imagn Images

There has been no shortage of drama or star power in the first five games of the Stanley Cup Final, with three of the games between the Oilers and Panthers going into overtime, and the matchup boasting top talents such as Edmonton’s Connor McDavid and Florida’s Aleksander Barkov. Audiences, however, remain somewhat indifferent, particularly in the U.S. 

TNT Sports parent company Warner Bros. Discovery, already in the midst of a larger transition, said that U.S. viewership for the series through Game 5 has averaged about 2.5 million viewers, down 28% from a year ago and down 5% from 2023, when the network last carried the Stanley Cup Final. 

Viewer attrition in the U.S. was likely compared to last year, when Disney carried the event on both ABC and ESPN. That exposure on broadcast with a significant emphasis on streaming contrasts significantly from the cable-led presentation on TNT and truTV, joined by a simulcast on Max. That rights rotation will continue through the 2027–28 season. 

Still, the current Stanley Cup Final results are something of a surprise given not only the inherent factors, but the momentum the NHL saw earlier this season in events such as the wildly successful 4 Nations Face-Off.  

The U.S. situation for the Stanley Cup Final also contrasts notably from Canada, where Sportsnet and CBC have averaged 3.8 million viewers through Game 5, up 2% from a year ago. In a country of nearly 42 million people, that total is equivalent to a U.S. audience of about 31 million. That latter figure is on par with what the NFL draws for a wild-card playoff game

Before the start of the Stanley Cup Final, commissioner Gary Bettman dismissed any viewership concerns.

“You’ve got some in the media saying, ‘Well, the ratings are going to be soft in the U.S.’ They’re going to be great in Canada, they’ll be fine in the U.S.,” Bettman said on NHL Network Radio. 

The Panthers currently lead the series three games to two, but should the Oilers win Game 6 on Tuesday and force a deciding game, the entire complexion of the series viewership will change considerably. Last year’s Game 7 between the two teams drew an average U.S. audience of 7.7 million, the largest total for any NHL game in five years. That final figure, more than twice the average level of the first five games of the series, also elevated the final average considerably.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

How Sports Leagues Are Responding to NFL Headquarters Shooting

The building housing the NFL headquarters was barricaded and closed Tuesday.

Mario Lemieux Trying to Reacquire Penguins 4 Years After Selling

The former NHL great looks to return to team ownership.
NYPD

Shooter at NFL Building Targeted League Over Head Injuries

The gunman shot one league employee in the building lobby.

Featured Today

Las Vegas sign

College Sports Embracing Vegas After Years of Cold Shoulder

The Big Ten became the latest newcomer to Sin City.
2000, Jupiter, FL, USA; FILE PHOTO; Montreal Expos pitcher Hideki Irabu in action on the mound against the New York Mets at Roger Dean Stadium during Spring Training
July 28, 2025

Dead Sports Franchises Are Alive and Well on Twitter

The Expos, Sonics, and Whalers have active social media accounts.
Limited Hype
July 27, 2025

Sneaker Reselling Was Once Easy Money. Success Is Now Complicated

Vendors need to evolve what they’re selling and how they do it.
HAPPY GILMORE 2. BTS - (L to R) Adam Sandler as Happy Gilmore and Rory McIlroy as himself on the set of Happy Gilmore2.
July 26, 2025

‘Cool As Hell’: How ‘Happy Gilmore 2’ Hooked Golf’s Top Stars

The process was “cool as hell,” Adam Sandler tells FOS.
Jul 27, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Sky guard Kia Nurse (11) drives to the basket against Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham (8) during the second half at United Center.

Fever-Sky Draws 1.5M Viewers Despite Clark, Reese Absences

Clark and Reese both missed the game due to injury.
July 24, 2025

CBS Sports to Get New Owner As Skydance Merger Clears FCC Hurdle

The long-awaited, but highly debated, merger gains regulatory approval.
July 29, 2025

WBD Restructuring Shows What’s Old Is New Again

WBD will become Warner Bros. and Discovery Global as two separate entities.
Sponsored

Game On: Portfolio Players Stories, Brought to You by E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley

Dealmaker Jeffrey Kaplan maps the evolution of sports as an asset class
Dec 7, 2024; New York, New York, USA; A general view of Times Square during the MLS Cup Times Square Watch Party prior to the game between the LA Galaxy and the New York Red Bulls.
July 24, 2025

MLS Reveals Apple TV Streaming Numbers, Raising Questions

The league gives a rare glimpse inside the high-profile streaming pact.
A Peacock sideline reporter holds a microphone with the NBC Peacock logo during Michigan State's football game against Washington on Saturday, Sept. 16, 2023, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing.
July 24, 2025

‘Unusual’: NBCU’s Surprise Interest in a New Cable Sports Network

Its previous channel NBCSN was shuttered less than four years ago.
July 23, 2025

‘ACC Huddle’ Joins College Football’s TV Road-Show Race

This season, “ACC Huddle” will broadcast from the conference’s weekly marquee game.
Jul 20, 2025; Portrush, IRL; Scottie Scheffler celebrates with the Claret Jug after winning the 153rd Open Championship golf tournament at Royal Portrush.
July 22, 2025

Scheffler Pushes The Open to Largest Audience Since 2022 at St Andrews

McIlroy’s Masters victory in April remains the highest-rated major of 2025.