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[04/29/26 - 02:41 PM]
Record Breaker! ESPN Airs Most-Viewed First Round Game 5 Ever on Cable, Extending Milestone Run of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs
Philadelphia Flyers-Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday averaged 2 million viewers, up 190% vs. ESPN's First Round Game 5 average last year.
[via press release from ESPN]

Record breaker! ESPN airs most-viewed First Round Game 5 ever on cable, extending milestone run of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs

Philadelphia Flyers-Pittsburgh Penguins averaged 2 million viewers, up 190% vs. ESPN's First Round Game 5 average last year

On Monday, 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs action continued with the highly anticipated Philadelphia Flyers-Pittsburgh Penguins Game 5 (7 p.m. ET). The game delivered 2 million viewers, up 190% vs. ESPN's First Round Game 5 average last year. This also ranks as the second most-viewed First Round game ever on cable (excluding Game 7's).

In the First Round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs, ESPN has now captured the top three First Round matchups ever on cable (excluding Game 7's): Flyers-Penguins Game 1 (2.1 million viewers), Flyers-Penguins Game 5 (2 million viewers) and Minnesota Wild-Dallas Stars Game 1 (1.9 million viewers).

This continues ESPN's record-breaking start to the Playoffs which recently delivered the second most-viewed First Round Game 4 on cable ever.

First Round action continues tonight with Montreal Canadiens-Tampa Bay Lightning Game 5 at 7 p.m. on ESPN2. The puck drops for a trio of Game 6's on Friday with Lightning-Canadiens (7 p.m., ESPN2), Buffalo Sabres-Boston Bruins (7:30 p.m., ESPN) and Vegas Golden Knights-Utah Mammoth (10 p.m., ESPN). More on the First Round here.

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