No Canadian content means fewer Canadian viewers for 2012 Stanley Cup

Los Angeles Kings captain Dustin Brown hoists the Stanley Cup after the Kings beat the New Jersey Devils 6-1 during Game 6 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup finals, Monday, June 11, 2012, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

TORONTO - As expected, the lack of Canadian content in the 2012 Stanley Cup final meant a drop in ratings for CBC.

The six-game series between the Los Angeles Kings and the New Jersey Devils averaged 2.67 million viewers a game in Canada, down sharply from last year's average of 6.15 million viewers that saw the Boston Bruins beat the Vancouver Canucks in seven games.

The highest number of viewers tuned in to watch L.A. win the Cup with a 6-1 victory in Monday's Game 6. That game averaged over 3.1 Canadian viewers, peaking at 4.7 million in the game's final minute.

The numbers are also down from the last time two American teams met in the final. An average of 3.107 million viewers a game tuned in to see the Chicago Blackhawks defeat the Philadelphia Flyers to win the 2010 Stanley Cup.

Ratings were also down in the United States despite the final featuring teams from the country's two biggest markets. The 2012 final averaged a 2.2 rating and 4 share on NBC, down from a 3.1 rating and 6 share in 2011.

Ratings measure the percentage of homes with televisions tuned into a program. Shares measure the percentage of all households with TVs in use at the time.

For the entire playoffs, NBC and NBC Sports Network combined to average 1.403 million viewers, up four per cent over 2011.