Sunday’s Olympic gold medal hockey game attracted a massive North American television audience, making it the most-viewed hockey game in the United States in 30 years and the most-viewed show of any kind in Canadian history.
On NBC, Canada’s 3-2 overtime victory over the U.S. drew an average of 27.6 million viewers and 15.2 percent of homes, the best such figures for hockey since Feb. 24, 1980, when Team USA beat Finland in Lake Placid for its last hockey gold medal.
It was the third-biggest U.S. hockey audience, trailing only that Finland game (32.8 million viewers) and the “Miracle on Ice” two days earlier against the Soviets, which attracted 34.2 million, even on tape delay.
Sunday’s viewership peaked at 34.8 million from 3:30-4 p.m. MST, an audience size only football usually can attract among American sports. The Nuggets lost to the Los Angeles Lakers on a nationally televised game about the same time.
In Canada, an average of 16.6 million people watched on nine channels in eight languages, forming the largest television audience ever in that nation. About 80 percent of Canadians (26.5 million) watched at least some part of the game.
Mediocrity? Nyet, nyet, nyet!
MOSCOW — President Dmitry Medvedev demanded Russian sports officials step down over the country’s dismal performance in Vancouver.
Russia, a traditional winter sports powerhouse, won 15 medals — with only three golds — in one of its worst performances.
Officials said before the Games that 30 medals and a top-three finish in the medal standings was the target.
“Those who bear the responsibility for Olympic preparations should carry that responsibility. It’s totally clear,” Medvedev said. “I think that the individuals responsible, or several of them, who answer for these preparations, should take the courageous decision to hand in their notice. If we don’t see such decisiveness, we will help them.”
Denver Post wire services
