Fans consumed record amount of video at NHL.COM after Game 5 thriller

After Monday night ’s triple-overtime thriller
during Stanley Cup Final
Game 5 between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Detroit Red Wings, on Tuesday National
Hockey League (NHL) fans consumed more streaming video at NHL.com
than any other single day in the history of the site.

On Tuesday, fans flocking to the NHL
Network Online, and tuning to the Game Highlights Channel
presented by Verizon Wireless,
consumed 50 percent more streaming video than NHL.com ’s
previous daily record. The achievement is particularly notable because
the amount of highlight video consumed in the wake of Game 5 eclipsed
nights when the NHL has had 15 games being played across North America.

The record amount of video is further indication that, in addition to
the high quality of play, star power and drama on the ice, the NHL
Network Online is successfully keeping its avid fans engaged and
active since end of the regular-season. On Tuesday, the Game
Highlights Channel presented by Verizon Wireless saw a record number
of visitors and concurrent users.

“The NHL has made digital a central platform
for activating avid fans and scaling the business, and video is the key
part of that strategy, ” said John Collins,
NHL Senior Executive Vice President of Business and Media. “As
a League, we ’re demonstrating in record
numbers the ability to deliver a large audience, both to traditional
media as well as New Media platforms that are widely consumed by the
most appealing demographics. ”

The achievement comes on the heels of the news that NBC
earned a 3.8 overnight rating and a 7 share for Game 5, the best
overnight rating for a Stanley Cup Final Game 5 in six years, and the
best for an NHL game on NBC since NBC reacquired the NHL in 2004. The
average of 6.2 million viewers made it the most-watched Stanley Cup
Final game since Game 5 in 2002 between the Carolina Hurricanes and the
Red Wings (6.8 million).

Also, NBC’s Saturday night Game 4 coverage ranked No. 1 in primetime in
Adults 18-49, Adults 18-34 and all key adult-male demographics. This
marks the first time Stanley Cup coverage has scored a primetime win
since Saturday, June 9, 2001 (Stanley Cup Final Game 7, Colorado-New
Jersey). So far, NBC ’s three-game Stanley Cup
Final average of 3.0/6 is an 88% increase over last year (1.6/3).