The 2011 NHL ENTRY DRAFT has delivered a record audience for TSN and RDS. Overnight data from BBM Canada confirms that an average of 1.5 million viewers watched TSN (1.15 million) and RDS’(306,000) DRAFT coverage throughout the networks’ four-hour prime-time broadcast on Friday night – making it the most-watched NHL ENTRY DRAFT ever.
Audience levels for the 2011 NHL ENTRY DRAFT peaked at 2.1 million viewers as the Winnipeg franchise officially unveiled “Jets” as the name for the city’s new NHL team prior to selecting Mark Scheifele with the seventh pick.
TSN’s audience for the 2011 NHL ENTRY DRAFT was up 46% compared to last year’s record audience (791,000). The audience for RDS’ French language coverage was up 24% compared to 2010.
For the first time, TSN integrated social media into its DRAFT coverage, generating extensive interest for the NHL ENTRY DRAFT across Twitter and Facebook. Utilizing the hashtag #TSN, fans, players and opinion leaders all contributed updates that were used throughout TSN’s broadcast coverage and online on TSN.ca.
The hashtag #TSN was tweeted thousands of times, becoming a trending topic on Twitter across the country and in all major Canadian markets on Friday. TSN’s Facebook page was also a hub of NHL ENTRY DRAFT activity giving its 250,000 members behind scenes photos, live updates and ongoing discussion on the DRAFT news.
“Social media was the perfect complement to the broadcast – allowing fans to share their immediate reactions as they watched the drama unfold on the draft floor,” said Mark Milliere, Senior Vice President of Production, TSN. “When players were being selected or traded we were getting instant feedback from their new and former teammates through Twitter posts. It made for compelling television and a whole new level of engagement that we haven’t seen before.”
Online, TSN.ca had its biggest NHL ENTRY DRAFT day ever with more than 9 million total page views on Friday almost doubling last year’s total (Ominture). TSN.ca featured live streaming along with Bob McKenzie’s Top 60 prospects and a live draft blog that attracted 76,000 participants. Overall, DRAFT-related video content on TSN.ca registered more than 1 million views from June 23 to June 25.
The NHL on TSN team now puts its attention on the NHL’s free agency period with the networks’ fifth annual FREE AGENT FRENZY special. TSN2 delivers a full day of coverage on July 1 beginning at 12 noon p.m. ET.
