Stanley Cup Final Game 1 Attracts Largest Viewership Since 2019

The NHL marked a significant milestone with Game 1 of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final, as it garnered the highest viewership for a Game 1 in seven years. The matchup between the Vegas Golden Knights and the Carolina Hurricanes brought in an average of 4.8 million viewers on ABC, surpassing the previous record set during the St. Louis Blues versus Boston Bruins matchup on NBC in 2019.

During the peak viewing time from 10:45 to 11 p.m. ET, the game reached an impressive 5.5 million viewers in the third period. This marked a dramatic increase of 98% from last year's Game 1 between the Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers, which attracted only 2.4 million viewers on TNT Sports. Additionally, viewership was up 54% compared to the same matchup in 2024, which had 3.1 million viewers on ABC.

While Nielsen's recent shift to the Big Data + Panel ratings methodology in September 2025 has contributed to an overall rise in live sports viewership, the significant increases seen this year reflect more than just this change. The NHL had already been experiencing strong audience engagement leading up to the Stanley Cup Final, with the Western Conference Final featuring the Golden Knights averaging 2.2 million viewers—an increase of 44% from the previous year. The Eastern Conference Final between the Hurricanes and Montreal Canadiens also performed well, averaging 2 million viewers, marking a 49% rise from last year.

This year's Stanley Cup Final is notable as it is the first since 2023 not to include a Canadian team. Game 1 viewership also showed a 14% increase from the last all-U.S. matchup on ABC in 2022, which featured the Tampa Bay Lightning against the Colorado Avalanche. With viewership already trending positively compared to 2022, the 2026 Stanley Cup Finals appears poised to break records yet again.