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[04/22/26 - 09:32 AM]
Record Setter! ESPN Opens 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs with Three Most-Watched First Round Games on Cable Ever, Excluding Game 7's
The Philadelphia Flyers-Pittsburgh Penguins matchup (Saturday, 8 p.m. ET) drew 2.1 million viewers, becoming the most-viewed First Round Playoff game ever on cable (excluding game 7's).
[via press release from ESPN]

Record setter! ESPN opens 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs with three most-watched First Round games on cable ever, excluding game 7's

· ESPN networks delivered its most-watched first two days of the playoffs in the current rights deal

Beginning the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs in record fashion, ESPN aired the three most-watched First Round games on cable (excluding game 7's), driving the network to its most-watched opening Playoffs start of the current rights era across its entire five game slate. The record-breaking opening weekend continued the momentum of its strong regular season viewership.

The Philadelphia Flyers-Pittsburgh Penguins matchup (Saturday, 8 p.m. ET) drew 2.1M viewers, becoming the most-viewed First Round Playoff game ever on cable (excluding game 7's). Minnesota Wild-Dallas Stars (Saturday, 5:30 p.m.) with 1.9M viewers, and the Boston Bruins-Buffalo Sabres matchup (Sunday 7:30 p.m.) with 1.7M viewers, became the second and third most-viewed First Round games ever on cable (excluding game 7's). All three matchups were up substantially year-over-year vs. ESPN's First Round game 1 average last year, with Flyers-Penguins +173%, Wild-Stars +147% and Bruins-Sabres +118%.

Adding to the successful weekend, Ottawa Senators-Carolina Hurricanes (Saturday, 3 p.m.) also delivered big with 1.3M viewers and +63% vs. ESPN's First Round game 1 average last year. Utah Mammoth-Vegas Golden Knights (Sunday, 10 p.m.) performed well with 1M viewers and +27% from last year.

In total, the five games averaged 1.6M viewers, delivering the most-watched opening Playoffs weekend of the current rights era. Year-over-year through one weekend, ESPN is +141%.

For the 2025-26 regular season, the NHL on ESPN networks scored new highs, delivering the most-watched season of the current rights deal (760K average viewers, +30% YoY), surpassing each season since the rights returned to ESPN in 2021-22.

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