TSN’s audience of 2.8 million for the game was the highest audience ever recorded for an NHL game on TSN and was the most-watched program on Canadian television last night in all key advertising demographics.* The Montreal-Washington series ranks as the most-watched playoff series ever on TSN (any rounds) with an average audience of 1.8 million viewers over seven games. With all of the game’s highlights and analysis, SPORTSCENTRE immediately after the game attracted an average audience of 1.1 million viewers.

RDS’ audience of 1.9 million represents an impressive 51% share of the Quebec-Franco market and was the top-ranked French network in all key advertising demographics. RDS’ average for the Montreal-Washington series was 1.34 million over seven games – 12% higher compared to Canadiens playoff games on RDS last season.

The Montreal-Washington Game 7 capped off a record-setting playoff round for TSN. Through 23 NHL playoff games in the first round, TSN averaged more than 1.07 million viewers – 89% higher than its average audience in the first round of the playoffs last season (567,000)*.

TSN’s average audience for each of its first round playoff series is as follows:

Montreal-Washington (7 games on TSN) – 1.8 million

Detroit-Phoenix (7 games on TSN) – 811,000

Chicago-Nashville (5 games on TSN) – 777,000

New Jersey-Philadelphia (4 games on TSN) – 545,000

TSN’s ongoing NHL playoff coverage continues with coverage of all games from the Eastern Conference semifinal series featuring Boston vs. Philadelphia and the Western Conference semifinal series featuring Detroit vs. San Jose. TSN’s coverage gets underway tonight with Game 1: Detroit @ San Jose at 8:30 p.m. ET. Coverage of the Boston-Philadelphia series begins with Game 1: Philadelphia @ Boston on Saturday, May 1 at 12 noon ET on TSN.

TSN has coverage of the first three rounds of the 2010 STANLEY CUP® PLAYOFFS.

*English-language

**Audiences prior to August 31, 2009 based on BBM Nielsen Media Research Mark II meters.

TSN

TSN is Canada’s Sports Leader and Canada’s most-watched specialty network. Delivering more sports coverage in High Definition than any other network in Canada, TSN’s comprehensive broadcast schedule features an exciting lineup of sports including NHL, IIHF, CFL, NFL, NBA, Blue Jays Baseball, Season of Champions Curling, Golf’s Majors, F1, NASCAR Sprint Cup, Grand Slam Tennis and Championship Boxing events. TSN properties include TSN2, TSN MOBILE and the industry leading sports website TSN.ca. Official broadcaster of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games and London 2012 Games of the Olympiad, TSN is a division of CTVglobemedia.

RDS

Le Réseau des Sports (RDS) is a French-language sports network that features a comprehensive world-class programming grid. Since its inception in 1989, RDS has built up an unparalleled broadcast schedule, acquiring such exclusive sports properties as all Montreal Canadiens and other NHL regular season games including the Stanley Cup Playoffs, CFL and NFL football, including both the Grey Cup and Super Bowl games, F1 and NASCAR racing, the World Series of Baseball, over 30 PGA Tour events including all four Major tournaments, the world’s most prestigious tennis competitions as well as the IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship. RDS was the official broadcaster of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games, and will reprise this role for the upcoming London 2012 Olympic Summer Games.

-30-

Audiences for the game peaked at 5.3 million at 9:30 p.m. ET (TSN and RDS combined)  as Capitals rookie John Carlson scored late in the third period to send the game into overtime.

TSN’s average audience of 2.1 million viewers is the highest NHL playoff audience ever recorded for the network*.  RDS’s audience of 1.3 million on Saturday night represented an impressive 39% of the Quebec-Francos market share and was the top-ranked French network in all key advertising demographics.

The exciting series continues tonight at the Bell Centre in Montreal live on TSN and RDS at 7 p.m. ET. The series is tied 1-1.

TSN’s popular talk show OFF THE RECORD WITH MICHAEL LANDSBERG will be live from the Bell Centre for special episodes today through to Wednesday at 6 p.m. ET.

*Audiences prior to August 31, 2009 based on BBM Nielsen Media Research Mark II meters.

TSN
TSN is Canada’s Sports Leader and Canada’s most-watched specialty network. Delivering more sports coverage in High Definition than any other network in Canada, TSN’s comprehensive broadcast schedule features an exciting lineup of sports including NHL, IIHF, CFL, NFL, NBA, Blue Jays Baseball, Season of Champions Curling, Golf’s Majors, F1, NASCAR Sprint Cup, Grand Slam Tennis and Championship Boxing events. TSN properties include TSN2, TSN MOBILE and the industry leading sports website TSN.ca. Official broadcaster of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games and London 2012 Games of the Olympiad, TSN is a division of CTVglobemedia.

RDS
Le Réseau des Sports (RDS) is a French-language sports network that features a comprehensive world-class programming grid. Since its inception in 1989, RDS has built up an unparalleled broadcast schedule, acquiring such exclusive sports properties as all Montreal Canadiens and other NHL regular season games including the Stanley Cup Playoffs, CFL and NFL football, including both the Grey Cup and Super Bowl games, F1 and NASCAR racing, the World Series of Baseball, over 30 PGA Tour events including all four Major tournaments, the world’s most prestigious tennis competitions as well as the IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship. RDS was the official broadcaster of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games, and will reprise this role for the upcoming London 2012 Olympic Summer Games.

-30-

– One in two Canadians watch some part of the broadcast –

– Audiences peaks at 8 million viewers in the final minutes of the fourth quarter –

– 1.8 million watch series premiere of UNDERCOVER BOSS – 

Toronto, ON (February 8, 2009) – SUPER BOWL XLIV is the most-watched SUPER BOWL ever with a record audience of 6.7 million viewers in Canada on CTV (6.025 million) and RDS (650,000) last night. Preliminary overnight data from BBM Canada confirms that the New Orleans Saints’ 31-17 victory over the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday is the second biggest audience for any broadcast on Canadian television since 1994.* Overall, an astonishing 16.64 million viewers – or one in two Canadians – tuned in to some or all of the broadcast on CTV or RDS.  

Audience levels for SUPER BOWL XLIV on CTV and RDS peaked at 8 million viewers in the final minutes of the fourth quarter as the New Orleans Saints’ Tracy Porter returned a Peyton Manning interception for a touchdown, sealing the Saints victory. The game attracted nearly two million viewers alone in Toronto/Hamilton, Canada’s largest television market, and delivered an incredible 65 share among Men 18-34, 18-49 and 25-54. 

The national audience for SUPER BOWL XLIV is more than 52% higher than last year’s NFL championship game that had an average audience of 4.3 million viewers. 

The record audience comes as CTV and the NFL confirmed earlier today that they have extended their broadcast partnership for the next four years with the SUPER BOWL airing exclusively in Canada on CTV through to SUPER BOWL XLVIII. 

“Last night’s overwhelming audience is a testament to what a cultural phenomenon the Super Bowl is every year,” said Rick Brace, President, Revenue, Business Planning and Sports, CTV Inc. “What a way to end a tremendous season of NFL football on CTV. We can’t wait to bring fans and advertisers all of the SUPER BOWL excitement again next year. ” 

CTV’s extended SUPER BOWL XLIV coverage also had impressive audiences with SUPER BOWL XLIV Kick-off Show attracting 3.7 million viewers. CTV’s newest reality series, UNDERCOVER BOSS, premiered in the coveted post-SUPER BOWL timeslot to an average audience of 1.83 million viewers. Episode 2 airs next Sunday, February 14 at 9 p.m. ET on /A\.  

SUPER BOWL XLIV caps off an incredibly successful season of NFL football on CTV –with the network setting new audience records throughout the regular season, playoffs and the SUPER BOWL. 

Final SUPER BOWL XLIV audience numbers will be available in the coming weeks.

*CTV began archiving ratings data in 1994.

Audiences prior to August 31, 2009 based on BBM Nielsen Media Research Mark II meters 

About CTV

CTV, Canada’s Olympic Network, is also Canada’s largest private broadcaster. Featuring a wide range of quality news, sports, information, and entertainment programming, CTV is Canada’s most-watched television network. CTV Inc. also owns radio stations across the country and owns or has interests in leading national specialty channels, featuring news, sports, factual, arts, entertainment, music, youth and fashion programming. CTV Inc. is owned by CTVglobemedia Inc. Canada’s premier multi-media company, which also owns Canada’s national newspaper, The Globe and Mail. CTV is the official broadcaster of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games and London 2012 Games of the Olympiad. More information about CTV may be found on the network’s website at www.ctv.ca. 

- CTV -