Flyers a huge ratings draw

NEWARK, N.J. - After dispatching the Pittsburgh Penguins in Round 1, the Flyers have captured the city of Philadelphia. Or, at least that's what the ratings say.

The NBC ratings for Game 1 against New Jersey on Sunday were up 121 percent from last year's Game 1 against Boston.

But the numbers from Game 2 were truly staggering for hockey in Philadelphia. According to the overnight ratings, the Flyers' Game 2 loss on NBC Sports Network on Tuesday night nearly doubled the combined local viewership of both the Sixers' playoff win in Chicago and the Phillies' game in Atlanta.

Here are the numbers, as provided by the NHL:

* Flyers on NBC Sports Network (7:30-10:15 p.m.): 12.4 rating, 19 share, 372,000 households and 607,000 viewers.

* Sixers on TNT (8:15-10:45 p.m.): 2.2 rating, 3 share, 67,000 households, 95,000 viewers

* Sixers on CSN (8-10:30 p.m.): 1.6 rating, 2 share, 49,000 households, 56,000 viewers

* Sixers on combined TNT/CSN: 116,000 gross households and 151,000 gross viewers

* Phillies on TCN (7-10 p.m.): 4.8 rating, 8 share, 145,000 households and 194,000 viewers.

* Sixers (combined TNT/CSN) and Phillies (TCN) combined ratings: 261,000 households, 345,000 viewers.

- Frank Seravalli