With a Canadian team in the 2nd round in the NHL playoffs, CBC saw record ratings for the Western Conference Semifinal series between Vancouver and Nashville. The network saw an average audience of just under 3 million for the entire series. That breaks the record set last year between Montreal and Pittsburgh. Let’s take a look at the CBC press release.
ANOTHER ROUND, ANOTHER RECORD: VIEWERSHIP CONTINUES TO SOAR FOR CBC’S HOCKEY NIGHT IN CANADA
Vancouver-Nashville series posts CBC record for Round Two audience
The hits just keep on coming for CBC’S HOCKEY NIGHT IN CANADA in Round Two of the 2011 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs. According to BBM overnight data, the Vancouver-Nashville series on CBC delivered an average audience of 2.978 million — making it CBC’s highest-rated single Round Two series ever* — eclipsing last season’s Montreal-Pittsburgh series (which averaged 2.833 million viewers).
The record-setting Round Two series builds on the best-ever average audience recorded for Round One — and combined, both rounds have delivered an average audience of 2.205 million**viewers, up 18% over last year’s average of 1.876 million.
The 2011 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs on CBC have so far reached a total of 24.5 million people, or roughly 3 in 4 Canadians.
The Vancouver-Nashville series average of 2.978 million was also up 15% over the 2010 Round Two series which saw the Canucks lose to Chicago. This year’s winning series against the Predators delivered a 35.8% share average of the total viewing audience.
* Based on metered television audience data only.
** Source: 2011 television audiences are BBM overnight, A2+ (PPM measurement).
That will do it.