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ESPN's presentation of 2026 Stanley Cup Final Game 2 continues viewership momentum
Largest Stanley Cup Final Game 2 audience since 2015
Vegas Golden Knights-Carolina Hurricanes onABC captures 7 million viewers, up 88% vs. 2025 Stanley Cup Final Game 2
The 2026 Stanley Cup Final Game 2 (Thursday, June 4) between the Vegas Golden Knights and Carolina Hurricanes (8 p.m. ET) continued an NHL postseason of multi-year high viewership. The overtime thriller averaged 4.7 million viewers on ABC:
The most-viewed Stanley Cup Final Game 2 since 2015 (Chicago-Tampa Bay, NBC)
ESPN's second most-watched Stanley Cup Final Game 2 in its history, outdrawing every Game 2 aired on ESPN and ABC, except 1997, in both its previous (1994-2004) and current rights agreement (2021 - present), a total of 13 different Game 2s.
Viewership for Game 2 was up 88% compared to Game 2 of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final on TNT/truTV and up 33% versus Game 2 of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final on ABC.
The audience peaked at 5.8 million viewers in the 10:45 p.m. quarter hour.
Through two games, the 2026 Stanley Cup Final is averaging 4.725 million viewers, up 93% YoY. This is highest Stanley Cup Final average through two games since 2015.
ESPN's presentation of the Stanley Cup Final follows the most-viewed Cup Final Game 1 since 2019 and a record-setting postseason highlighted by ESPN networks' most-viewed First Round and Second Round of the current rights agreement, and the most-viewed Western Conference Final since 2015.
ESPN's exclusive presentation of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final continues tomorrow (Tuesday) with Game 4 between the Hurricanes and the Golden Knights at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. Sean McDonough, Ray Ferraro and Emily Kaplan will call the action. Pregame and intermission coverage will feature host Steve Levy and analysts Mark Messier and P.K. Subban. ESPN analyst Erik Johnson returns for The Point presented by DraftKings at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN2 and ESPN+. More on ESPN's coverage here.
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