Game 1 Pulls A Big TV Number And The Cup Final Feels Bigger

The Stanley Cup Final is doing what the best sports events do - grabbing a bigger audience once the lights get brightest. Game 1 nearly doubles its ABC viewership, which is the kind of number networks love and league officials quietly keep in their pocket. That usually means the matchup has the right mix of stakes, drama, and enough recognizable names to pull in the casual crowd.