Ratings report: Stanley Cup down; Golf Channel has huge May

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The Stanley Cup Final isn’t exactly how the NHL hoped to finish its season. It has been a ratings buzzkill.

Monday’s Game 3 was watched by 1.743 million viewers, down 37% from 2.757 last year for Bruins-Canucks. The game did a 1.03, down from a 1.58.

It doesn’t figure to get much better tonight with Los Angeles holding a 3-0 lead in the series. The clincher will be on NBC Sports Network if the Kings can complete the sweep. Again, not what the NHL wanted.

Channeling up: It’s big times for another Comcast-owned network. Ratings are soaring for the Golf Channel, which enjoyed its biggest May ever.

From Golf Channel:

Coming off its best year ever in 2011, Golf Channel continues to build on its momentum with a strong start to 2012. Based upon five-plus quarters of growth since becoming part of the NBC Sports Group, Golf Channel is the fastest-growing network on cable (among networks serving 80 million or more U.S. homes). Through May, average viewers are up 20 percent over 2011 and 52 percent over the same time period two years ago. Four out of five months in the books so far this year – and the last consecutive four months – have set a “most-watched” record for that month.

And more good news:

MAY MOST-WATCHED: Golf Channel averaged 112,000 viewers per day during May, spurred by compelling PGA TOUR coverage and strong performances from the network’s original entertainment series:
· The second episode of Big Break Atlantis (May 21) was the highest-rated and most-watched (0.3/349,000) original entertainment program in primetime this year and of any Big Break Episode Two in four years.
· The Feherty episode featuring guest Donald Trump (0.2/215,000) was the highest-rated Feherty premiere this season. The series has bolstered the network’s primetime Monday lineup of original shows, which is up 64 percent over 2011.
DIGITAL KEEPS PACE: GolfChannel.com continues to attract new users in 2012, with page views up 41 percent and unique users up 58 percent so far this year over last year. Page views for the site’s mobile application are up 368 percent over 2011.