Stanley Cup Final Sees Largest TV Audience in 7 Years

The 2026 NHL Stanley Cup Final has broken records, producing the largest TV audience for the series in seven years. The six-game series, won by the Carolina Hurricanes, finishes well ahead of the past two times ABC has aired the NHL's championship series.

The Carolina Hurricanes beat the Vegas Golden Knights 3-0 to win the Stanley Cup, four games to two, marking the franchise's second NHL championship. The series averaged 5.2 million viewers, also the highest since 2019.

Sunday's audience peaked with 7.2 million viewers from 10:45-11 p.m. ET as the Hurricanes skated to the final minutes of their title. The NHL has ridden a wave of pop-culture cachet in 2026, with improved TV ratings for the earlier rounds of the NHL playoffs.

ESPN platforms had their most watched playoffs ever, drawing 2.2 million viewers per game. TNT Sports also had its best showing to date, averaging 1.4 million viewers. The Stanley Cup Final's success comes after the NBA Finals delivered their largest audience since 1998 with 20.6 million viewers.