Each Day to Feature Quadrupleheader Across NBCUniversal Family of Networks
2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs Averaging Total Audience Delivery (TAD) of 832,000 Viewers, Up 10% vs. 2020 and Up 16% vs. 2019
Puck Drops on Tonight’s Coverage with Game 4 Between (2) Capitals – (3) Bruins at 6:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN; NHL Live Begins at 6 p.m. ET
STAMFORD, Conn. – May 21, 2021 – The First Round of the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs continues with quadrupleheaders over the next three days across the networks of NBCUniversal. Puck drop on tonight’s coverage begins with the No. 2 Washington Capitals facing the No. 3 Boston Bruins in Game 4 at 6:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN. The Bruins defeated the Capitals 3-2 in overtime on Monday night to take a 2-1 series advantage. Each of the opening three games in the series have gone into overtime. NHL Live begins coverage at 6 p.m. ET on NBCSN.
The No. 1 Carolina Hurricanes look to take a 3-0 series advantage against the No. 4 Nashville Predators tonight at 7 p.m. ET on USA Network. NBCSN’s second half of the doubleheader is Game 2 between the No. 2 Edmonton Oilers hosting the No. 3 Winnipeg Jets with the Jets holding a 1-0 series lead at 9 p.m. ET. The nightcap features Game 3 between the Presidents’ Trophy-winning No. 1 Colorado Avalanche against the No. 4 St. Louis Blues at 9:30 p.m. ET on USA Network. Colorado currently leads the series 2-0.
Colby Armstrong, a nine-year NHL veteran, joins the NHL on NBC Sports studio team this weekend during matinee coverage on Saturday and Sunday.
Overall, Stanley Cup Playoff coverage will be presented on NBC, NBCSN and NHL Network, as well as First and Second Round coverage on NBCUniversal’s USA Network and CNBC. NBC Sports’ coverage of Stanley Cup Playoff First Round games on NBCUniversal cable networks (NBCSN, USA Network and CNBC), as well as NHL Network, will air side-by-side with regional sports networks and will be available for streaming on NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app in local markets alongside regional sports network game telecasts. All games on NBC are exclusive. This marks the 16th consecutive season in which the Stanley Cup Playoffs is presented across the networks of NBCUniversal.
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VIEWERSHIP
The 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs are averaging a Total Audience Delivery (TAD) of 832,000 viewers through its first 14 games across NBC, NBCSN and CNBC, up 10% and 16%, respectively vs. comparable coverage in 2020 (759,000) and 2019 (718,000).
The first weekend of the Stanley Cup Playoffs on NBC (May 15-16) averaged a TAD of 1.744 million viewers for three games, up 33% vs. 2020 (1.311 million) and up 24% vs. 2019 (1.402 million).
As previously announced, the Capitals’ thrilling 3-2 overtime victory over the Bruins registered a TAD of 2.31 million viewers, ranking as NBC Sports’ most-watched First Round Game 1 on record and the most-watched such game in 26 years (1995, regionalized coverage on FOX). The game broadcast peaked with 3.14 million TV-only viewers.
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Below is this weekend’s 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs schedule across NBC, NBCSN, USA Network, and CNBC through Sunday, May 23:
| Date | Coverage | Network | Time (ET) | Commentators |
| Fri., May 21 | Game 4 – (2) Washington vs. (3) Boston | NBCSN | 6:30 p.m. | Kenny Albert, Eddie Olczyk, Brian Boucher |
| Game 3 – (1) Carolina vs. (4) Nashville | USA Network | 7 p.m. | Brendan Burke, AJ Mleczko | |
| Game 2 – (3) Winnipeg vs. (2) Edmonton | NBCSN | 9 p.m. | Alex Faust, Dominic Moore | |
| Game 3 – (1) Colorado vs. (4) St. Louis | USA Network | 9:30 p.m. | John Forslund, Pierre McGuire | |
| Sat., May 22 | Game 4 – (2) Florida vs. (3) Tampa Bay | CNBC | 12:30 p.m. | Alex Faust, Joe Micheletti |
| Game 4 – (1) Pittsburgh vs. (4) N.Y. Islanders | NBC | 3 p.m. | Kenny Albert, Eddie Olczyk, Brian Boucher | |
| Game 2 – (4) Montreal vs. (1) Toronto | CNBC | 7 p.m. | John Walton, Dominic Moore | |
| Game 4 – (2) Vegas vs. (3) Minnesota | NBC | 8 p.m. | Brendan Burke, Keith Jones, Pierre McGuire | |
| Sun., May 23 | Game 4 – (1) Carolina vs. (4) Nashville | NBCSN | 2:30 p.m. | Ken Daniels, AJ Mleczko |
| Game 4 – (1) Colorado vs. (4) St. Louis | NBCSN | 5 p.m. | Alex Faust, Pierre McGuire | |
| Game 5 – (3) Boston vs. (2) Washington | USA Network | 7 p.m. | Brendan Burke, Brian Boucher | |
| Game 3 – (2) Edmonton vs. (3) Winnipeg | NBCSN | 7:30 p.m. | Harnarayan Singh, Louie DeBrusk, Gene Principe |
—NBC SPORTS–
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