The two ABC games with Philadelphia were huge local hits for Channel 7. Game Two, which started at 1 p.m. and went to overtime before the Sabres won, had a 15.7 rating. Game Six, the series clincher that started at 3 p.m. and was won by the Sabres, 8-0, had a 24.1 rating, the highest rating in the country.
Ratings typically increase with later start times.
Couple those ratings with the hype surrounding the second-round matchup between Mario Lemieux and the Pittsburgh Penguins, and it was only natural for ABC to grab today's game and a potential Game Five next Saturday. Since the Pittsburgh market also scored a record-breaking 14.4 rating for Game Five of the Pens' series with Washington, the series involves ABC's two best hockey markets. ESPN received the exclusive American rights to one second-round game in its new deal. And if the Sabres advance beyond round two, ESPN and ABC have exclusive American rights and Empire is shut out. In the first round, the Sabres received very healthy ratings, in the 16 through 24 neighborhood.