MSNBC Nets Ratings Gold With U.S. Upset Of Canada In Olympic Hockey
Feb. 21 Telecast Draws 8.22 Million Viewers, Second Most In The News Network's History
Mike Reynolds -- Multichannel News, 2/22/2010 6:44:55 PM
It might not have been the "miracle on ice," but the U.S. team's 5-3 victory over Canada in hockey Sunday night skated before a huge audience on MSNBC.
MSNBC averaged a 4.3 rating and 8.22 million viewers with its Feb. 21 telecast, according to Nielsen data. The game -- the Americans first over the Canadians in the puck sport since 1960 and one short of the 30th anniversary of the U.S. victory over the powerful Soviet Union team at the Lake Placid Olympics in 1980 -- ranked as the third-highest rated program in MSNBC history, behind only the 4.9 mark for the Democratic presidential debate on Feb. 26, 2008 and the 4.4 for the analysis immediately following.
It was also the second most-watched show ever for MSNBC behind the 8.23 million who watched its election night coverage on Nov. 4, 2008, according to NBC officials.
North of the border, the consortium of Canadian networks covering the Vancouver Games, with the lion's share going to CTV, delivered 10.6 million viewers, the most in that nation's history for a sports telecast and 300,000 more than Canada's win over the U.S. in the gold medal game at the Salt Lake City Games in 2002.
MSNBC's telecast of U.S.-Canada surpassed the 8.08 million who watched the Pittsburgh Penguins dethrone the Detroit Red Wings in Game 7 of the 2009 Stanley Cup Finals on June 11, 2009 on NBC. The final game of last year's championship series was the most-viewed NHL contest in 36, since the decisive sixth game of Montreal's win over Chicago on May 10, 1973.
NBC's Feb. 21 telecast fell short of the 10.7 national rating and 17.1 million viewers the Peacock recorded with Canada's gold medal game win over the U.S. at the Salt Lake City Games in 2002, as well as ABC's tape-delayed, primetime telecast of the aforementioned "Miracle On Ice" back on Feb. 22, 1980.