It's No Mystery: Chopped Canada Premiere Claims All-Time Network High Audience and Wins the Night Against All Entertainment Specialty

#ChoppedCanada Drives Massive Online Conversation - Trending Nationally Throughout the Night

TORONTO, Jan. 3, 2014 /CNW/ - Canadians devoured last night's debut of Chopped Canada. The inaugural episode of the brand new Food Network Canada series smashed previous audience records making it the highest rated series premiere in the network's history with an AMA of 393,000 (2+)*. The nail-biting series also sent the rest of the competition to the chopping block as the 10pm ET/PT broadcast drew in the highest audience against all entertainment specialty programs of the night across all key demographics**.

Twitter was abuzz yesterday evening as fans anxiously awaited the broadcast premiere event. The #ChoppedCanada hashtag began trending in Canada as of 6pm ET last night and dominated topics of twitter conversation, continuously trending nationwide, throughout the day today***.

Chopped Canada is the first Canadian edition of the hugely popular Food Network U.S. series Chopped. Hosted by Dean McDermott (winner of Rachael vs. Guy: Celebrity Cook-Off season two), Chopped Canada is a high-stakes culinary competition series where four chefs compete before an all-star panel of expert judges, including Lynn Crawford (Pitchin' In), Chuck Hughes (Chuck's Week Off), Michael Smith (Chef Michael's Kitchen), Susur Lee (Top Chef Masters), Roger Mooking (Heat Seekers),  Vikram Vij (Top Chef Canada season 1 & 2), John Higgins (George Brown College) and Anne Yarymowich (formerly FRANK Restaurant).

Catch a new episode of Chopped Canada on Food Network Canada, next Thursday at 10 pm ET/PT, with encore presentations on Saturdays at 12 pm ET/9am PT and 8pm ET/PT.

Source:
*BBM Canada, PPM data 4/11/11 vs. BBM Canada, PPM Overnight data 1/2/14
**BBM Canada, PPM Overnight data 1/2/14
***Trendsmap, 1/2/14 - 1/3/14

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:
Twitter: @FoodNetworkCA, @ShawMediaTV_PR, @ChoppedCanada; #ChoppedCanada
Facebook: Food Network Canada; Chopped Canada.

Food Network Canada is a Shaw Media Network.

About Shaw Communications Inc.
Shaw is a diversified communications and media company, providing consumers with broadband cable television, High-Speed Internet, Home Phone, telecommunications services (through Shaw Business), satellite direct-to-home services (through Shaw Direct) and engaging programming content (through Shaw Media). Shaw serves 3.3 million customers, through a reliable and extensive fibre network. Shaw Media operates one of the largest conventional television networks in Canada, Global Television, and 19 specialty networks including HGTV Canada, Food Network Canada, HISTORY® and Showcase. Shaw is traded on the Toronto and New York stock exchanges and is included in the S&P/TSX 60 Index (Symbol: TSX - SJR.B, NYSE - SJR). For more information about Shaw, please visit www.shaw.ca.

SOURCE: Food Network

For media inquiries, please contact: 

Ginger Bertrand
Publicist, Food Network Canada
Shaw Media
416.934.4676
[email protected]

Jaclyn Atwood
Senior Publicity Manager
Shaw Media
416.966.7293
[email protected]