BREAKING: 27.6 Million Watch the Gold Medal Game

Vancouver – March 1, 2010 – Sunday afternoon’s USA vs. Canada gold medal hockey game, that NBC’s Bob Costas called, “One of the greatest sports events I have ever seen,” was the most-watched hockey game in 30 years.  Canada’s epic 3-2 overtime victory (3:20-6:13 p.m. ET) drew an average viewership of 27.6 million, the most watched hockey broadcast of any kind since the USA vs. Finland 1980 gold medal game in Lake Placid on Feb. 24, 1980 (32.8 million).  For historical comparison, the “Miracle on Ice” USA-Russia semifinal game that aired on tape delay on Feb 22, 1980 from the Lake Placid Games drew 34.2 million average viewers.

“We’ve been fortunate to have a front-row seat to observe a nation of fans that appreciates winter sports, is proud of their winter sport heritage and celebrates success – no matter which country wins – so it was only fitting yesterday when Sidney Crosby scored the goal to give Canadians the gold that meant so much to this country,” said Dick Ebersol, Chairman, NBC Universal Sports & Olympics. “‘O Canada’ will never be the same.”

TOPS 2002 SALT LAKE GOLD MEDAL GAME BY 10.5 MILLION VIEWERS: The 27.6 million viewers for Sunday’s gold medal game was 10.5 million more (up 61 percent) from the Canada-USA gold medal game from the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics (17.1 million viewers).

The 15.2/30 rating for yesterday’s game was four-and-a-half rating points higher than the 10.7/24 for the 2002 gold medal game and was the highest-rated hockey game of any kind since the USA vs. Finland 1980 gold medal game (23.2/61).  The “Miracle on Ice” semifinal game between the USA and Russia had a household rating of a 23.9/37.

The audience peaked at 34.8 million viewers (18.6/34 hh rating) from 5:30-6 p.m. ET, when the USA’s Zach Parise (New Jersey Devils) sent the game to overtime with the tying goal with just 24.4 seconds left in regulation.  Canada’s Sydney Crosby (Pittsburgh Penguins) gave Canada the gold medal, their 14^th of the Winter Games (most of any country) when he got the puck past the USA’s Ryan Miller (Buffalo Sabres) just over seven minutes into overtime.

Below is a list of the highest-rated and most watched hockey broadcasts of all time broken down by: Household Rating/Share, Average audience (people 2+) and Total Audience:

GAME                                                Avg. Viewers            Total Viewers                       RTG/SH

USA/Russia, 1980 (Miracle on Ice) 34.2 million   51.9 million               23.9/37

USA/Finland, 1980 (gold medal)  32.8 million   55.6 million               23.2/61

USA/Canada, 2010 (gold medal)  27.6 million   n/a                                15.2/30

USA/Canada, 2002 (gold medal)  17.1 million   38 million               10.7/24

Unified/USA, 1992 (semifinal)            11.7 million   25 million               9.3/32

AUDIENCE FOR GOLD MEDAL GAME SURPASSES TOP EVENTS:

The 27.6 million average viewers for the USA-Canada Gold Medal hockey game surpassed the following during the 2009-2010 seasons:

2010 Grammy Awards                                    25.9 million

2010 Rose Bowl                                        24.0 million

2009 World Series 4                                                22.8 million (Gm. 4 was most watched)

2009 NCAA Basketball Championship            17.6 million

2009 NBA Finals – Game 4                                  16.0 million (Gm. 4 was most watched)

2010 Daytona 500                                          16.0 million

2009 Masters Golf – Sunday                          14.3 million

NBC’s BOB COSTAS ON GOLD MEDAL GAME: “That’s one of the greatest sports events I have ever seen.”

“A script so classic that if it were a movie, they would send it back because it was unrealistic.”

“With all due respect, this can never be repeated. On home soil, for Canada, in the sport that matters most, against the Americans – this can never be repeated. This can never be approached, let alone equaled.”

NBC’s AL MICHAELS THOUGHTS ON THE GAME: “You could not have written a better script for this country. The goal that will resonate throughout history in Canada.”

FROM THE OPENING TEASE OF NBC’S COVERAGE, 17 DAYS AGO: “The host nation is on a mission.  No one bears the weight of expectations like the 22-year-old captain of the Stanley Cup champions. O Canada’s face of the Games, charged with leading his nation’s pursuit of their Holy Grail – the Olympic hockey title.”

UNIVERSAL SPORTS TO REPLAY GOLD MEDAL MATCH: For anybody who missed this game or want to watch it again, Universal Sports, the preeminent multiplatform destination for Olympic-related sports programming which is available in 57 million homes, will replay the USA-Canada Olympic gold medal hockey game this Tuesday and Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET with repeats each night at 11 p.m. ET.

OLYMPIC STARS RETURN IN NHL “GAME OF THE WEEK” THIS SUNDAY: This Sunday, March 7, the NHL returns to NBC as the Detroit Red Wings led by silver medalist Brian Rafalski of Team USA travels to Chicago to take on a Chicago Blackhawks team filled with members of both Team USA and the gold medal-winning Team Canada.  Among those suiting up for the Blackhawks are Team USA’s Patrick Kane and Team Canada’s Jonathan Toews, Duncan Keith and Bren Seabrook. The NHL “Game of the Week” from the United Center will air this Sunday at 12:30 p.m. ET on NBC.

Top 25 Metered Markets for USA-Canada Olympic Gold Medal Hockey Game:

1. Buffalo, 32.6/51

2. Pittsburgh, 31.9/50

3. Detroit, 26.9/47

4. Minneapolis, 26.4/53

5. Milwaukee, 24.5/43

6. Boston, 24.1/46

7. Chicago, 23.5/41

8. Columbus, 22.3/37

9. Denver, 22.2/42

10. Philadelphia, 20.9/35

11. West Palm Beach, 20.3/33

12. Kansas City, 19.5/35

13. St. Louis, 19.4/39

14. Seattle, 19.3/45

15. Cincinnati, 19.2/31

16. New York, 19.0/36

17. Hartford, 18.5/30

18. Providence, 18.4/34

T19. Salt Lake City, 18.3/38

T19. Cleveland, 18.3/32

T21. Washington, D.C., 18.1/33

T21. Baltimore, 18.1/32

23. Ft. Myers, 18.0/34

T24. Austin, 17.1/34

T24. Indianapolis, 17.1/29