The household impressions are up 69% compared to this point last year and on pace to be the highest for a Lightning season in the network's history. The household rating, up 49% vs. last year, trails only the 2018-19 season
Among American NHL teams, only the NHL-leading Boston Bruins have added more viewers year-over-year.
"Whether it's packing Amalie Arena or watching from home, Lightning fans show up every night, and this year's viewership proves that the passion is only growing in the Tampa Bay area," said Steve Tello, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Bally Sports Sun. "We are excited to continue celebrating our strong partnership with the Lightning and their 30th-anniversary season with some special broadcasts and promotions planned in the coming weeks."
The Nielsen metrics do not include viewership in the Bally Sports app, or through the new standalone streaming option Bally Sports+, where the audience has also steadily increased throughout this season.
Coming off their third straight trip to the Stanley Cup Final and celebrating their 30th-anniversary season, the Lightning are closing in on their sixth consecutive playoff appearance. During the first half of the season, Bolts fans celebrated captain Steven Stamkos reaching the 500-goal and 1,000-point milestones on Bally Sports Sun with Dave Randorf and Brian Engblom on the call, while Andrei Vasilevskiy became just the second goalie in NHL history to reach 250 wins in fewer than 400 games.
The Lightning's 3-2 win over the Bruins on Jan. 26 was the most-watched game in at least four seasons on Bally Sports Sun. It averaged a 3.42 rating and 70,703 household impressions and peaked at a 4.60 rating and 95,198 households at the end of the game, according to Nielsen.
Bally Sports Sun will celebrate the Lightning's 30th anniversary
with a full arena ViewMaster giveaway
at the March 9 game against the Vegas Golden Knights. Tapping into the nostalgia of the 1990s, the ViewMaster features seven images highlighting some of the top moments in Lightning history.
The network will also air special coverage surrounding Lightning Alumni Weekend (March 16-18). Team founder Phil Esposito will be inducted as part of the inaugural Lightning Hall of Fame class along with Vincent Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis, the organization's only two players to have their jersey numbers retired.
The Bolts are in Detroit on Saturday night for an 8 p.m. matchup against the Red Wings. Coverage on Bally Sports Sun starts with the "Lightning Live" pregame show at 7:30 p.m.
In addition to airing on Bally Sports Sun, Lightning games and other programming can be streamed live at
BallySports.com
and on the Bally Sports app when viewers authenticate using their pay-TV credentials. Fans throughout North and Central Florida can also watch the coverage through Bally Sports+, a new standalone streaming option. For more information, visit
BallySportsPlus.com
.
