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TV This Week

For the NHL, a record year for ratings

NBCSN posts best season and top regular season on cable in decades

By Louisa Ada Seltzer

April 14, 2016

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This might not be a great year for NHL playoff ratings in Canada, since no Canadian squad made the postseason for the first time in 46 years.

But it’s looking like quite a promising playoffs for the U.S., where regular-season viewership set records on NBCSN. The network airs a first-round game between the top-seeded Washington Capitals and the Philadelphia Flyers tonight at 7 p.m.

NBCSN averaged 378,000 total viewers per game, the most-watched regular season in the 10 years the network has carried the NHL.

It’s also the most-watched regular season on cable since 1993-’94, back when the games were on ESPN.

This season’s viewership was up 8 percent over last season. The gains weren’t limited to broadcast – total viewership on NBC and NBCSN was up 2 percent over last year.

That bodes well for the playoffs, where the Capitals are hoping to bring home their first-ever Stanley Cup. The squad is a notorious choker in the playoffs, and if it can make it through the next few rounds, that might help stoke interest in the postseason, too, since the Caps also have one of the league’s more popular players, Alex Ovechkin.

A look at this week’s top TV draws

THURSDAY, APRIL 14

Time

Network

Program

Description

7:30 p.m.

NBCSN

“NHL Hockey” (S)

Another Stanley Cup playoffs first-round doubleheader.

9 p.m.

ESPN

“30 for 30” (S)

New documentary titled “This Magic Moment,” following the 1990s Orlando Magic teams that included Shaquille O’Neal.

9 p.m.

Fox

“American Grit” (R)

Series premiere. Wrestler John Cena hosts a reality competition featuring military-themed challenges.

9 p.m.

CMT

“The Dude Perfect Show” (R)

Series premiere. Reality show following the stunt group that has gained popularity on YouTube.

10 p.m.

BBC America

“Orphan Black” (D)

Season premiere. The drama kicks off its fourth season.

10 p.m.

“Archer” (C)

Archer attends a prep school reunion.

FRIDAY, APRIL 15

Time

Network

Program

Description

3 a.m.

Netflix

“Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” (C)

Season premiere. The complete second season of the comedy becomes available.

8 p.m.

CBS

“The Amazing Race” (R)

The teams continue the race through Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

8 p.m.

ESPNU

“Gymnastics” (S)

Live coverage of the NCAA women’s championships.

9 p.m.

ABC

“Shark Tank” (R)

Actor Ashton Kutcher guests on the panel this week.

10 p.m.

Animal Planet

“Tanked” (R)

The reality show celebrates its 100th episode.

10 p.m.

Showtime

“Boxing” (S)

Undefeated bantamweights Nokolay Potapov and Stephon Young face off in New York.

SATURDAY, APRIL 16

Time

Network

Program

Description

12:30 p.m.

NBC

“Premier League Soccer” (S)

Traditional powers Chelsea and Manchester City face off in London.

3 p.m.

ABC

“NBA Basketball” (S)

A first-round playoff games, teams TBD.

8 p.m.

Fox

“UFC Fight Night” (S)

Main event features light heavyweights Rashad Evans and Glover Teixeira.

9 p.m.

Hallmark

“Love by Chance” (M)

A mother sets her daughter up with a man, although she neglects to tell her daughter.

10 p.m.

Reelz

“Case Closed with A.J. Benza” (N)

Series premiere. True crime series kicks off with a new look at the death of Princess Diana.

10 p.m.

Esquire Network

“Beowulf” (D)

Season finale. Beowulf enlists the help of women children.

SUNDAY, APRIL 17

Time

Network

Program

Description

3 p.m.

Disney XD

“Becoming” (D)

A look at New York Yankees pitcher CC Sabathia’s path to stardom.

8 p.m.

Telemundo

“La Voz Kids” (R)

Season premiere. The coaches this season are Daddy Yankee, Natalia Jimenez and Pedro Fernandez.

9 p.m.

Fox

“Family Guy” (C)

Lois becomes a postal worker so she can pay for Stewie’s private school.

9 p.m.

HBO

“Vinyl” (D)

Zak puts together a risky plan to take down Richie.

10 p.m.

PBS

“Mr. Selfridge” (D)

Harry gets into trouble with a mob boss.

10:30 p.m.

HBO

“Girls” (C)

Season finale. Marnie gets ready to head out on tour with Desi.

A = awards show or special, C = comedy, D = drama, DD = daytime drama, G = game show, K = kids, M = movie, N = news/documentary, R = reality, S = sports, T = talk/variety show.