NESN Sets NHL Regular-Season Ratings Mark with Bruins' Opener

Boston Bruins fans embraced the NHL club’s return to the ice, as NESN set a regular-season ratings record with the 2013 season opener.

NESN’s Jan. 19 telecast of the Bruins’ 3-1 win over the New York Rangers -- the first of the lockout-shortened season -- averaged a 9.4 household rating/17 share in the Boston DMA, according to Nielsen data.

The RSN’s previous best regular-season game rating was an 8.9 mark on Jan. 7, 2012 for its coverage of  Boston-Vancouver in the teams’ first meeting since the Bruins beat the Canucks to win the 2011 Stanley Cup.

NESN’s demo ratings for the Saturday opener also scored big, garnering a 12.8 rating among men 25 to 54, 10.3 with adults 25 to 54 and a 7.9 against women of that age.

NESN’s pre and post-game coverage of the season opener also performed quite well. WB Mason presents Bruins Face-Off Live, which was expanded to a one-hour show for opening night, earned a 2.5 household rating (5.3 share), the third-highest-rated regular-season Bruins pre-game show in NESN history.  Ace Ticket presents Bruins Overtime Live, garnered a 5.1 household mark (9.3 share), the second-highest rating for a Bruins regular-season post-game show in NESN history.