Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Montreal Canadiens game garners an
average audience of more than 2.5 million Canadians
Saturday night’s broadcast of the Original Six match-up between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Montreal Canadiens at 7 p.m. ET on CBC’S HOCKEY NIGHT IN CANADA drew the largest audience of the season with an average of 2.51 million viewers. The March 3 audience represents the largest number of viewers for a regular season game on CBC’S HOCKEY NIGHT IN CANADA since November 20, 2010 when another Leafs/Canadiens matchup reached 2.54 million.
Ratings data from the Bureau of Broadcast Measurement (BBM) show the game reached nearly 7.4 million viewers, or one in five Canadians. Audience numbers peaked at 9:34 pm ET with an audience of 3.37 million.
The classic battle featuring one of the NHL’s fiercest rivalries was also the first game for the Leafs under new head coach, Randy Carlyle. Carlyle replaced former bench boss Ron Wilson who was relieved of his duties on March 2.
Strong viewership continued across the country as Saturday’s night’s late game featured the Buffalo Sabres visiting the Vancouver Canucks and garnered an average audience of 1.17 million.
(Source: BBM Canada, Total Canada, Preliminary Overnights, Ind.2+, 2011)
About CBC/Radio-Canada
CBC/Radio-Canada is Canada’s national public broadcaster and one of its largest cultural institutions. The Corporation is a leader in reaching Canadians on new platforms and delivers a comprehensive range of radio, television, Internet, and satellite-based services. Deeply rooted in the regions, CBC/Radio-Canada is the only domestic broadcaster to offer diverse regional and cultural perspectives in English, French and eight Aboriginal languages, plus seven languages for international audiences. In 2011, CBC/Radio-Canada celebrated 75 years of serving Canadians and being at the centre of the democratic, social and cultural life of Canada.
For further information, contact:
James Lamont,
Veritas Communications
(Work) 416-482-2617; (Cell) 416-859-5870
lamont@veritascanada.com
