Suddenly sports telecasts are scoring big ratings for the television networks. After
a steady skid in ratings over the past six years, hockey finally has begun drawing
a significant audience on network television. Monday's fifth game of the Stanley
Cup Finals on NBC gave the network a rare primetime win (actually the triple-overtime
contest ran well past primetime and into early Tuesday morning), the biggest numbers
for any hockey game since 2004 and the biggest for a game that wasn't the final and
deciding game since 2002. Meanwhile, the start of the NBA championship series between the
Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics is expected to draw the largest audience
for any network telecast this summer.
04/06/2008
See Also
