Fans Consumed Record Amount of Video at NHL.com After Game 5 of the 2008 Stanley Cup Final

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).