TNT Sports’ NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs Second Round Sets Record Viewership

TNT Sports had its most-watched NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs Second Round ever, with Thursday’s Game 5 between Montreal and Buffalo bringing in an average of 1.9 million viewers. This game became the most-watched Second Round, Game 5 on cable ever to feature a Canadian team, hitting a peak of 2.3 million viewers at 8:30 p.m. ET.

The Second Round of the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs on TNT, truTV, and HBO Max averaged 1.7 million viewers, showing a 33% increase from last season. Throughout the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs until the Second Round, TNT Sports’ coverage has been drawing an average of 1.3 million viewers, marking a 51% increase from the same period in 2025. Interestingly, female viewers aged 2 and over have been a driving force behind this viewership growth, climbing up to 66% from last season until the Second Round.

TNT Sports set several new records during the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs Second Round, boasting the most-watched Second Round Game 1 on TNT Sports (Minnesota/Colorado, 2.2 million), the most-watched Second Round Game 3 on cable (Carolina/Philadelphia, 2 million), and the most-watched Second Round Game 5 on TNT Sports (Minnesota/Colorado, 1.8 million).

Looking ahead, TNT Sports will exclusively cover the 2026 NHL Eastern Conference Final between either the Montreal Canadiens or Buffalo Sabres and the Carolina Hurricanes. The action kicks off with Game 1 on Thursday, May 21 at 8 p.m., with pregame coverage starting at 7 p.m. live from Raleigh, North Carolina. The hosting duties will be handled by Liam McHugh, joined by analysts Wayne Gretzky, Henrik Lundqvist, Anson Carter, and Paul Bissonnette.