• by Wayne Friedman , June 8, 2007

The NHL has a new challenge--trying to become one of the big four major sports.

The final game of the NHL Stanley Cup contest between the Anaheim Ducks and Ottawa Senators on NBC pulled in 2.88 million viewers, the lowest in 12 years.

Compared with Game 5 last year, last night's adult 18-49 viewers dropped 29% to a 1.2 rating from a 1.7 number. Game 4 posted similar numbers--a 1.1 rating of 18-49 viewers and 2.8 million total viewers.

If that wasn't enough bad news for NBC and the NHL, the third game of the Stanley Cup Finals on Saturday drew just 1.6 million total viewers, the lowest viewership for any finals game since the network began carrying hockey last year. It's not just NBC. The NHL's cable network, Versus, also witnessed a 20% drop in viewership for the first two games of the Stanley Cup versus last year.

While hockey gives NBC some fresh original programming for the otherwise rerun-happy network summer TV schedule, hockey put NBC into fifth place, behind Fox (3.6/11), ABC (2.5/7), CBS (2.1/6) and Univision (1.8/5). NBC was a 1.2/4. CW was next at a 0.7/2.

Fox easily won Wednesday, led by its growing reality show "So You Think You Can Dance?" which has risen to a 4.4 rating/12 share this week, from mid-3.0 numbers the week before.

Good news circulated for other reality shows on Wednesday night. ABC posted decent 3.0/8 numbers for its returning reality contest show "American Inventor."

ABC's other reality show, "The Next Best Thing: Who Is the Greatest Celebrity Impersonator," perked up a bit to a 2.7/9--although it was running against a repeat of "So You Think You Can Dance" on Fox, which still won the time period with a 2.8/9.

ABC's scripted drama "Traveler" had less luck. It pulled in a 1.8 rating at 10 p.m., down a bit from its last outing. CBS won the time period, leading with a 2.7 for a rerun of "CSI: NY."