Game 1 audience for Montreal- Toronto outpaces 2010-2011 opener, while pre-game NHL FACE OFF show was up 66 percent from last year
October 7, 2011 - Canadians everywhere tuned into CBC’s Thursday night hockey coverage of Molson Canadian NHL FACE-OFF, as the season opener for CBC’s HOCKEY NIGHT IN CANADA attracted strong audiences from start to finish.
Ratings data from the Bureau of Broadcast Measurement (BBM) show that an average audience of 929,000 viewers 2+ got into the night with the pre-game show, a 66 percent increase over last year.
Then, 1.935 million Canadians watched the classic Game 1 match-up between the Montreal Canadiens and the Toronto Maple Leafs - beating last year’s opening-game mark of 1.923 million.
Afterwards, coverage of Game 2 between the Pittsburgh Penguins and 2011 Stanley Cup contenders the Vancouver Canucks drew a 2+ audience of 989,000, nearly matching last year’s opening-night Game 2 mark - and a sure indicator that the excitement over the 2011-2012 season of CBC’s HOCKEY NIGHT IN CANADA has only just begun.
(Source: BBM Canada, Total Canada, Preliminary Overnights, Ind.2+, 2011)
* Based on metered television audience data only
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 is celebrating 75 years of serving Canadians and being at the centre of the democratic, social and cultural life of Canada.
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