Kukla's Korner Hockey
Watching The Winter Classic
by Paul on 01/03/11 at 03:51 PM ET
Comments (3)
NEW YORK – Jan. 2, 2011 – The 2011 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic, broadcast on New Year’s Day by NBC Sports in primetime due to a weather delay, was the most-watched Winter Classic ever, up 22 percent vs. last year’s game and the most-watched NHL regular-season game in 36 years, according to fast national data provided by Nielsen Media Research. In four years the NHL Winter Classic, which Newsday called “a holiday tradition” and the New York Times said “has stolen New Year’s Day,” has averaged 4.1 million viewers on NBC. Saturday’s game was seen by 4.5 million viewers, up 22 percent vs. last year (3.7 million), and earned a 2.3 national rating and 4 share (8-11 p.m. ET), up 10 percent vs. last year (2.1/4, 1-4 p.m. ET).
Despite changing the start time from 1 p.m. ET to 8 p.m. ET due to weather, which saw the game to compete against other NHL games involving eight U.S. markets, 4.5 million viewers watched the Capitals defeat the Penguins, 3-1, at Heinz Field, home of the Pittsburgh Steelers, surpassing the 4.4 million who watched the 2009 Winter Classic that saw the defending Stanley Cup champion Detroit Red Wings defeat the Chicago Blackhawks, 6-4, at iconic Wrigley Field as the most-watched NHL regular-season game since Feb. 23, 1975 (5.4 million, Philadelphia-New York Rangers on NBC). The 2011 Classic was also up 22 percent vs. last year’s overtime game between the Philadelphia Flyers and Boston Bruins from iconic Fenway Park (3.7 million).
MOST-WATCHED NHL REGULAR-SEASON GAMES SINCE 1975
4.5 million Jan. 1, 2011 NBC Capitals-Penguins
4.4 million Jan. 1, 2009 NBC Red Wings-Blackhawks
3.8 million Jan. 27, 1996 FOX Six-game regional coverage
3.8 million Jan. 1, 2008 NBC Penguins-Sabres
3.7 million Jan. 1, 2010 NBC Flyers-Bruins
The rating peaked at a 2.4/4 in both the 8-8:30 p.m. ET and 8:30-9 p.m. ET half hours. Pittsburgh led all markets with a 32.0 rating, which is up 81 percent from the 17.7 rating the market posted for the inaugural Winter Classic (2008), in which the Penguins competed against the Sabres in Buffalo in snow globe-like conditions with the winning goal provided by Sidney Crosby in a shootout.\
Following are the Top 10 metered markets for the 2010 Winter Classic:
1. Pittsburgh, 32.0/46
2. Washington D.C., 7.6/13
3. Baltimore, 6.6/11
4. Buffalo, 5.3/8
T5. St. Louis, 4.3/7
T5. Denver, 4.3/7
7. Boston, 4.0/7
8. Richmond, 3.8/6
9. Philadelphia, 3.5/6
10. Columbus, 3.4/6
Filed in: NHL Teams, Pittsburgh Penguins, Washington Capitals, | KK Hockey | Permalink
Comments
Those Pittsburgh numbers are damned impressive. There can’t be a more hockey-crazy city in the US right now.
Attendance, we know, is often a function of economic factors and that’s understandable. TV ratings are probably a better indicator of enthusiasm and these are positively stratospheric. For a regular season game? Wow.
Posted by Lex Talionis on 01/03/11 at 04:49 PM ET
Meanwhile, ESPN Brasil screwed us over by not showing the Winter Classic, even though they had three available channels. Then, on Sunday, they screwed us once again by not showing the game tape delayed like they said they would.
And this less than a week after skipping their scheduled DAL-NAS game in favor of the postponed NFL game.
If I had to count on legal ways to get some fuching hockey, I’d be dead right now.
Posted by Guilherme from Brazsil on 01/03/11 at 07:05 PM ET
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Feb. 23, 1975 (5.4 million, Philadelphia-New York Rangers on NBC)
Anyone know what was so special about this game? Or was it a combination of only 3 networks and very few games broadcasted in 1975?
Posted by StevieSteve on 01/03/11 at 04:15 PM ET