22 Million Watch Sidney Crosby Win Gold For Canada

    
    -   Record audience peaks as overtime goal sends nation into frenzy -
    -   Canadians consume 1.25 billion hours of Vancouver 2010 coverage -
    -   2010 Winter Games audiences 138% higher than Salt Lake City 2002 -
    -   Nearly half of all internet users in Canada have visited
        CTVOlympics.ca or RDSolympiques.ca -
    

VANCOUVER, March 1 /CNW/ - Further analysis of yesterday's historic television audience reveals that 22 million people - or two thirds of the Canadian population - were watching when Sidney Crosby scored in overtime and ignited a cheer heard across the nation. The peak audience follows the announcement earlier today that the 16.6 million average audience for the game is the most-watched television broadcast in Canadian history. Twenty million viewers were watching the medal ceremony in which Team Canada received the record 14th gold medal of the Games, peaking at 20.5 million viewers when Sidney Crosby was presented with his medal from IOC President Jacques Rogge. The game captured an 85 Share, meaning 85% of Canadians watching television at the time were watching the gold medal match.

The game capped off a series of golden ratings for Canada's Olympic Broadcast Media Consortium, which delivered the Top 5 most-watched television events in recorded history in Canada. Canadians consumed 1.25 billion hours of Vancouver 2010 coverage on television alone, with the average viewer watching 38 hours of content throughout the Games. In prime time, Vancouver 2010 (5.8 million) delivered 66% more viewers than Salt Lake City 2002 (3.5 million). Overall television viewing in Canada increased 22% during the Games versus the preceding five weeks, with CTV tripling its average full-day audience. CTV won every timeslot in prime time on every day of the Games, for both total viewers and the prime selling demos of A25-54 and A18-49. Meanwhile, TSN also tripled its full-day audience to become the 2nd most-watched network in Canada during the Games, with Rogers Sportsnet right behind at No. 3.

Canada's Olympic Broadcast Media Consortium delivered 4,800 total hours of coverage of the 2010 Winter Games. Every second of Olympic Games competition was available live on one of the Consortium's platforms - CTV, V (and CPAC), TSN, Rogers Sportsnet, RDS, RIS Info Sports, OMNI, OLN, APTN, ATN, CTVOlympics.ca and RDSolympiques.ca.

NOTE: See below for "Most-Watched 2010 Winter Games Events" and "Most-Watched Canadian Medals".

To view the complete release please click http://ctvmedia.ca/olympics

For further information: Jim Quan, CTV Inc., [phone], [email protected]; Carolyn Fell, CTV Inc., [phone], [email protected]; Pamela Mollica, Consortium, [phone], [email protected]; Andrea Goldstein, Consortium, [phone], [email protected]