2011 NHL ALL-STAR GAME ON CBC’S HOCKEY NIGHT IN CANADA SMASHES RATINGS RECORDS
Super Skills Competition also sets new all-time high

CBC Press Release

Both Sunday night’s NHL All-Star Game and Saturday’s NHL Super Skills Competition were record-setting ratings smashes for CBC’S HOCKEY NIGHT IN CANADA, according to BBM overnight data.

The 2011 All Star Game on CBC’S HOCKEY NIGHT IN CANADA drew an average audience of 2.389 million viewers, a huge 56 per cent increase over viewership of the last NHL All-Star Game played in 2009 in Montreal, when 1.527 million tuned in (there was no game last year due to the 2010 Winter Olympics).

“This is a testament to Canada’s passion for NHL hockey and the comprehensive coverage on CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada,” said David Masse, Senior Director, CBC Sports. “Our goal is to always provide the very best in live sports coverage and these record numbers signify that we’re accomplishing that and viewers are responding.”

This year’s unique format pitting Team Staal versus Team Lidstrom resulted in an exciting finish with the perennial all-star Detroit defenceman pulling out an 11-10 victory. That close game lead to a viewing audience peaked of 3.35 million at 6:55 p.m. ET with Team Staal pressing for the tie.

This marks the highest rating in 13 years for an NHL All-Star Game on CBC’S HOCKEY NIGHT IN CANDA, and obliterated the previous high of 1.67 million viewers at the 1999 All-Star Game.

The weekend long broadcast got off to a flying start with 864,000 Canadians tuning into Scotiabank Hockey Tonight pre-game show with host Ron MacLean.

The NHL Super Skills Competition followed and was also a record-setter, drawing an audience of 2.446 million and peaking at over three million at two different points during the broadcast. The average audience was 78 per cent higher than the previous high of the 1.371 million that tuned in to the last Skills Competition, held in Montreal in 2009.