The 2026 Stanley Cup Final opened with its largest audience in seven years as Game 1 between the Vegas Golden Knights and Carolina Hurricanes (Tuesday, 8 p.m. ET) averaged 4.8 million viewers on ABC. This makes it the most-viewed Stanley Cup Final Game 1 since 2019 (St. Louis/Boston, NBC).
Viewership was up 98% compared to Game 1 of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final on TNT/TruTV and up 54% versus Game 1 of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final on ABC.
The audience peaked deep in the third period (10:45 - 11 p.m.) at 5.5 million viewers.
Tuesday's game delivered ESPN's most-watched Stanley Cup Final Game 1 as it drew a higher audience than every Game 1 between 1994, 2000-2004, which aired on ESPN, in addition to 2024 and 2022 on ABC as part of this current rights deal.
ESPN's presentation of the Cup Final follows record-setting postseason viewership, including ESPN networks' airing its most-viewedFirst Round and Second Round of the current rights deal, and the most-viewed Western Conference Final since 2015.
ESPN exclusive presentation of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final continues tonight with Game 2 between the Vegas Golden Knights and Carolina Hurricanes at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. Sean McDonough, Ray Ferraro and Emily Kaplan will call the action, whileThe Point Presented by DraftKings,with host Steve Levy and analysts Mark Messier and P.K. Subbanreturn as the lead-in show, beginning at 7 p.m. (ESPN, ESPN+). More on ESPN's coverage here.
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Source: ESPN
