NHL says 2026 playoffs most-watched on record in U.S.

NEW YORK -- 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 Stanley 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.