ESPN's 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs postseason viewership continues its nearly two-month standout run, capturing the most-watched Western Conference Final (Vegas Golden Knights vs. Colorado Avalanche) since 2015, despite the Golden Knights sweep. Across four games on ESPN, the series averaged 2.2 million viewers and was up 44% vs. the Western Conference Final last year (Edmonton vs. Dallas) which went five games on ESPN.
The series followed ESPN's most-viewed Stanley Cup Playoffs First and Second Rounds of the current rights deal (2021/22 - present) and adds to the strong momentum heading into ESPN's exclusive presentation of the Stanley Cup Final (beginning June 2).
ESPN concluded the series with the most-viewed Western Conference Final Game 4 since 2016 (St. Louis-San Jose, NBC), delivering 2.1 million viewers. This series' Game 4 was up 36% vs. last year's on ESPN.
Each game in the series delivered a Western Conference Final multi-year high, including:
ESPN's exclusive presentation of the Stanley Cup Final begins Tuesday in prime time with the Carolina Hurricanes hosting the Vegas Golden Knights at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and additional ESPN platforms . More on ESPN's coverage here.
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Source: ESPN
