TNT Sports Delivers Its Most Watched NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs First Round Ever

TNT Sports delivered its most-watched NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs First Round ever, culminating with a dramatic Game 7 of the Montreal/Tampa Bay series on Sunday, May 3 that averaged 2.3 million viewers, the most-watched First Round game on cable ever featuring a Canadian team. The game peaked at 3.2 million viewers at 8:30 p.m. ET.  

Overall, TNT Sports’ coverage of the First Round of the 2026 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs across TNT, TBS, truTV and HBO Max averaged 1.2 million viewers, up 68% vs. last season and its best start for the NHL playoffs since acquiring NHL hockey rights in 2021.  

TNT Sports' coverage of the First Round also set a series of new historical marks, including: 

• the two most watched Game 1s on TNT Sports (Kings/Avalanche, 1.3 million; Lightning/Canadiens, 1.4 million) 

• the most watched Game 3 on TNT Sports (Penguins/Flyers, 1.6 million) 

• the most watched Game 4 on cable (Stars/Wild, 1.9 million) 

• the most watched Game 5 on TNT Sports (Sabres/Bruins, 1.3 million) 

• the most watched Game 6 on cable (Stars/Wild, 2 million) 

Second Round coverage on TNT Sports is off to a fast start with Sunday's high-scoring Wild/Avalanche matchup averaging 2.2 million viewers, the most watched Second Round Game 1 game on cable ever. 

Second Round action continues Wednesday, May 6 on TNT, truTV and HBO Max with Game 1 of Montreal/Buffalo at 7 p.m., followed by Game 2 of Anaheim/Vegas at 9:30 p.m. NHL on TNT Face Off Powered by Verizon pregame coverage will begin at 6:30 p.m. with host Liam McHugh, alongside analysts Henrik Lundqvist, Anson Carter and Paul Bissonnette.