NEW YORK (AP) - The Boston Bruins' Stanley Cup-winning conquest of the Vancouver Canucks stands as the most-watched National Hockey League game on American television since the 1970s.
The Nielsen Co. said that the seventh game victory was seen by about 8.5 million people on NBC last week. A winner-take-all game between a Boston team that hadn't won professional hockey's championship in 39 years against a team that had never won proved to be a real draw.
It was the biggest audience since a 1973 playoff contest between Montreal and Chicago.
Sports on TV have been attracting bigger audiences in recent years with the rapid expansion of high-definition television and large-screen sets.
The game and talent competitions enabled NBC to win the weekly ratings race for the first time since New Year's week.
Fox News First
Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox.
By entering your email and clicking the Subscribe button, you agree to the Fox News Privacy Policy and Terms of Use, and agree to receive content and promotional communications from Fox News. You understand that you can opt-out at any time.