The Great Canadian Ratings Report: Stanley Cup final on pace for another decrease

Maybe with the Toronto Raptors out of the way, Rogers might be able to salvage this year's Stanley Cup final. But, considering the way the series between the Pittsburgh Penguins and San Jose Sharks started, maybe not.

With ratings down from 2015, this isn't the kind of news Rogers needs. Monday's opener averaged 1.7 million viewers on CBC, which was the most-watched program in the country.

But that was about 10 per cent below last year's opener between Chicago and Tampa Bay, the lowest-rated series in six years. 

However, there are signs of hope that Rogers' big gamble on the NHL might be saved from the ignominy of yet another record for futility. For one, the audiences for the playoffs are trending upwards.

Round 3 averaged 1.1 million viewers on CBC and Sportsnet, a 35 per cent increase over Round 2. And, as the 2.2 million who watched last Thursday's deciding game between Pittsburgh and Tampa Bay proved, a competitive series can draw big  numbers.

Therefore, if the Pens and Sharks keep things close and run the series to six or seven games, it's conceivable that the series could top last year's 2.39 million average.

Helping Rogers in that regard is the fact that the Raptors have ended their season. Their series against the Cleveland Cavaliers averaged more than 1.3 million viewers a game -- a previously unheard-of number for the NBA in Canada. The Raptors finale on Friday was the second most-watched sports event of the weekend with 1.48 million viewers on TSN.

What's even more promising for basketball is the fact that this Raptorsmania has people interested in the rest of the NBA. Monday's deciding West final between Oklahoma City and Golden State brought an average of 660,000 viewers to TSN, another huge number for a sport that has always been on the fringes in Canada.

That may be good news for the NBA, but not so much for Rogers. If the NBA final catches the attention of Canadians, that could draw even more viewers away from hockey.

Here are the most-watched sports events on English-language television from the past weekend, according to Numeris overnight ratings:

1. NHL, Sharks at Penguins, Monday, CBC: 1,700,000

2. NBA, Cavaliers at Raptors, Friday, TSN: 1,484,000

3. MLB, Red Sox at Blue Jays, Sunday, Sportsnet: 1,080,000

4. MLB, Red Sox at Blue Jays, Saturday, Sportsnet: 833,000

5. MLB, Red Sox at Blue Jays, Friday, Sportsnet One: 723,000

6. NBA, Thunder at Warriors, Monday, TSN: 660,000

7. NBA, Warriors at Thunder, Saturday, Sportsnet/Sportsnet One: 636,000

8. Hockey, Memorial Cup final, Sunday, Sportsnet: 526,000*

9. Soccer, Champions League, Real Madrid vs. Atletico Madrid, Saturday, TSN: 309,000

10. Auto racing, Monaco Grand Prix, Sunday, TSN: 247,000

11. Hockey, Memorial Cup final, Sunday, Sportsnet 360/Sportsnet One: 220,000*

12. MLB, Yankees at Rays, Saturday, Sportsnet: 219,000

13. PGA, Dean & Deluca Invitational final round, Sunday, Global: 217,000

14. Auto racing, NASCAR Coca-Cola 600, Sunday, TSN: 202,000 (Fox audience not measured)

15. Hockey, Memorial Cup semifinal, Friday, Sportsnet: 186,000

16. Athletics, Diamond League, Saturday, CBC: 149,000

17. MLS, Houston at Vancouver, Saturday, TSN: 134,000

18. Auto racing, Monaco Grand Prix qualifying, Saturday, TSN: 113,000

19. Auto racing, Indianapolis 500, Sunday, Sportsnet 360: 109,000 (ABC audience not measured)

20. PGA, Dean & Deluca Invitational third round, Saturday, Global: 107,000

 * Memorial Cup final aired on Sportsnet 360 and Sportsnet One, until Sportsnet joined  following the Blue Jays game.

THREE TO WATCH

Wild kingdom on ice: When it's Sharks against Penguins, we're going with the guys who have the biggest teeth -- or in this case, any teeth. But when it's the San Jose Sharks and the Pittsburgh Penguins teeth don't matter, mainly because there are so few to go around. The Penguins put the bite on the Sharks in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup final, meaning the Sharks will be looking for revenge in Game 2 (Wednesday, 8 p.m. ET, CBC.)

Dribbling with the stars: With the Toronto Raptors done for the season after a record ride, all eyes will be on LeBron James and Stephen Curry. The former is trying to end a 52-year championship drought in Cleveland while the latter, who got some of his training in Toronto, is hoping to put the icing on an incredible season. The NBA final starts Thursday (9 p.m. ET, ABC and TSN.)

Le tennis, anyone? Odds are it will be Serena Williams and Novak Djokovic in the spotlight when the finals of the French Open are played, though anything can happen before le weekend. The women's final goes Saturday (9 a.m. ET, TSN) and the men's Sunday (9 a.m. ET, TSN.)