"NHL STADIUM SERIES" BETWEEN PENGUINS & BLACKHAWKS SCORES BEST OVERNIGHT RATING EVER ON NBC FOR NON-WINTER CLASSIC REGULAR-SEASON GAME

Game Registers 2.1 Overnight Rating, Up 91% vs. Last Year's Regular-Season Average (1.1)

Chicago Posts 14.9 Rating, Best-Ever for Blackhawks Regular-Season Game on NBC; Pittsburgh Registers 13.3 Rating

STAMFORD, Conn. - March 2, 2014 -- NBC's primetime coverage of last night's NHL Stadium Series game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Chicago Blackhawks (8-11:15 p.m. ET) from Soldier Field in Chicago registered a 2.1 overnight rating, making it the highest overnight ever on NBC for a non-Winter Classic NHL regular-season game, according to metered market data from The Nielsen Company.

The overnight for the game, in which the hometown Blackhawks handily defeated the Penguins, 5-1, was up 91% compared to last year's NHL regular-season average on NBC (1.1) and up 31% vs. NBC's afternoon NHL Stadium Series game on January 26 between the New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils (1.6; 1:30-4:30 p.m. ET).

Chicago posted a 14.9 rating, making it the highest-rated regular-season Blackhawks game ever on NBC in the Chicago market, even topping the 2009 NHL Winter Classic (11.8), which saw the Detroit Red Wings defeat the Blackhawks, 6-4, at Chicago's Wrigley Field. In Pittsburgh, the game registered a 13.3 rating. NBC was No. 1 network in both markets from 8-11:15 pm ET.

Following are the Top 5 markets for last night's game:
1. Chicago 14.9
2. Pittsburgh 13.3
3. Buffalo 6.8
4. Milwaukee 3.2
5. Dayton 2.4