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Carts
03-21-2011, 04:34 PM
Whitecaps FC-Toronto FC Season Opener on TSN is the 2nd Most-Watched MLS Game Ever on Canadian television


– Average audience of 289,000 viewers watched first-ever meeting between two Canadian MLS clubs –

To tweet this release: http://bit.ly/hLg79w (http://bit.ly/hLg79w)

Toronto, ON (March 21, 2011) – TSN scores a record audience in its inaugural game as the official broadcaster of Major League Soccer in Canada. The highly-anticipated Vancouver Whitecaps FC–Toronto FC season opening game on Saturday attracted an average audience of 289,000 viewers on TSN – making it the 2nd most watched MLS game ever on Canadian television.

TSN’s audience for the historic game on Saturday was 53% higher than the Toronto FC’s broadcast debut on conventional television last season (April 25, 2010).

Overall, close to 1.4 million unique viewers tuned in at some point to TSN’s MLS coverage on a highly competitive day in sports broadcasting.

Playing in their first-ever MLS match, the Whitecaps FC defeated their Canadian rivals 4-2 in an entertaining game in front of a sold-out crowd at Empire Field in Vancouver.

TSN’s MLS coverage was led by play-by-play commentator Luke Wileman and colour analyst Jason deVos.

MLS ON TSN coverage continues with the Toronto FC home opener against the Portland Timbers on Saturday, March 26 at 1:30 p.m. ET live on TSN.

In total, TSN and TSN2 will broadcast 24 MLS regular season matches this year featuring Toronto FC and/or Vancouver Whitecaps FC, plus an additional 25 games showcasing non-Canadian clubs. TSN is also the official Canadian broadcaster of the MLS ALL-STAR GAME, MLS CUP playoff games and the highly-anticipated MLS CUP.

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS
Twitter
Luke Wileman: @lukewileman, www.Twitter.com/lukewileman (http://www.twitter.com/lukewileman)
Jason deVos: @jasondevos, www.Twitter.com/jasondevos (http://www.twitter.com/jasondevos)
Facebook
TSN: www.Facebook.com/TSN (http://www.facebook.com/TSN)

ArmenJBX
03-21-2011, 04:36 PM
What's our normal numbers, about 120K no?
Multiply that by 2, due to Vancouver being in Canada, so it makes sense

boban
03-21-2011, 04:37 PM
What's our normal numbers, about 120K no?
Multiply that by 2, due to Vancouver being in Canada, so it makes sense
Season openers attract more, closer to 200,000.

Red CB Toronto
03-21-2011, 04:40 PM
That is a great number for the Reds, good to see some coast to coast Canadian exposure for the Reds, also the Bruins and Leafs were in the same time slot more or less.

Damien
03-21-2011, 04:41 PM
I think a regular game we only attract like 30-50k on tv... but don't quote me.

boban
03-21-2011, 04:50 PM
I think a regular game we only attract like 30-50k on tv... but don't quote me.
Sportsnet yes (lower end), not CBC. Their games were over 100,000 consistently. Some even approaching or surpassing 200,000.

Red CB Toronto
03-21-2011, 05:08 PM
Sportsnet yes (lower end), not CBC. Their games were over 100,000 consistently. Some even approaching or surpassing 200,000.

That is true, the real low end of it all was GOL.

TFCRegina
03-21-2011, 05:19 PM
Ratings were decent. I imagine the ratings will be stronger this year on TSN than on CBC. We just had a 6 goal opener involving two Canadian teams and it was the lead on the SportsCentre.

It doesn't get much better than that...well it could have been. TFC could have won.

LittleOzzy
03-21-2011, 05:26 PM
Great for MLS and Vancouver who will continue the momentum by being on national TV all season.

Not such great news for TFC who will be relegated to GolTV and it's normal 25K audience for most of the season.

kodiakTFC
03-21-2011, 05:32 PM
Great for MLS and Vancouver who will continue the momentum by being on national TV all season.

Not such great news for TFC who will be relegated to GolTV and it's normal 25K audience for most of the season.

I remember one of the champions league games had an audience of 14,000 on Gol Tv.

Blowing Bubbles
03-21-2011, 05:54 PM
This is a big number when you consider it was up against Hockey Night in Canada.

The June 29th match vs Vancouver could put up a monster rating on a Wednesday night.

I know some of you will scoff, but if you had an MLS game at 7pm leading into a CFL game at 9 - 10pm you would probably be able to boost the numbers higher as well.

billyfly
03-21-2011, 06:39 PM
I am so happy we got killed in front of such a large number of people.

Shakes McQueen
03-21-2011, 07:00 PM
Fantastic ratings. I hope TSN continues to push Toronto FC and the Whitecaps like that all season. Leading Sportsnet gives a huge boost to awareness of the teams, and the league.

- Scott

Canuck82
03-22-2011, 08:45 AM
Any idea how this would compare to an average regular season CFL broadcast on TSN?

Parkdale
03-22-2011, 08:49 AM
I think a regular game we only attract like 30-50k on tv... but don't quote me.


oops

arbogast
03-22-2011, 08:51 AM
Any idea how this would compare to an average regular season CFL broadcast on TSN?

Tor v Van Ratings were paltry compared to CFL ratings. TSN scores between 700,000 to 1 mil for CFL games:

http://www.riderfans.com/forum/showthread.php?t=90879

while 300K is OK, they weren't much higher than CBC's opening game ratings from 09 and I was expecting TSN to do much better. I guess we all gotta start somewhere.

rocker
03-22-2011, 11:18 AM
If this ends up being the low end of TSN ratings this season, it's fabulous.

CFL wasn't always drawing what it draws now.

drexel10
03-22-2011, 11:37 AM
Tor v Van Ratings were paltry compared to CFL ratings. TSN scores between 700,000 to 1 mil for CFL games:

http://www.riderfans.com/forum/showthread.php?t=90879

while 300K is OK, they weren't much higher than CBC's opening game ratings from 09 and I was expecting TSN to do much better. I guess we all gotta start somewhere.


CBC was never up against HNIC. Interesting start time, but the numbers were pretty good considering the Leafs are in playoff race.

bee dubya
03-22-2011, 11:51 AM
I suspect this will be a higher than average number for this season. I hope I'm wrong and that MLS audiences continue to grow in Canada. You have to think this is a perfect start for TSN - Vancouver's first ever MLS game, their first home game and they played against TFC. I don't think the audiences would have come close to 300K if it was Vancouver vs Chivas at the Home Depot Ctr.

Pachuco
03-22-2011, 12:12 PM
I suspect this will be a higher than average number for this season. I hope I'm wrong and that MLS audiences continue to grow in Canada. You have to think this is a perfect start for TSN - Vancouver's first ever MLS game, their first home game and they played against TFC. I don't think the audiences would have come close to 300K if it was Vancouver vs Chivas at the Home Depot Ctr.

Exactly. People are making way too much of these ratings. When you consider both teams are Canadian. 120K is what you would've had if we were playing Portland Timbers. At that point, those aren't fantastic ratings, they are on par with CBC numbers from what I remember.

Saturday's match is a much better way to judge whether tv ratings are up for TFC.

johnmolinaro
03-22-2011, 12:33 PM
I was in the press box working during the game so I didn't see the broadcast, so I'm wondering what your thoughts were on the job TSN did?

John

drexel10
03-22-2011, 12:38 PM
Very good overall. Great oepening introducing the league and some of the better players. I liked it.

ManUtd4ever
03-22-2011, 12:44 PM
I was in the press box working during the game so I didn't see the broadcast, so I'm wondering what your thoughts were on the job TSN did?

John

The camera angle was excellent, the on field news anchor was shaky, and the commentary was smooth thanks to Luke Wileman. Overall, it was a solid broadcasting debut that has room for improvement.

Pachuco
03-22-2011, 12:47 PM
When it comes to production value I think it was on par with CBC. The fact that I can't stand Jason Devos though really puts a damper on the production for me. I also think Nigel is better then Luke Wileman but I get that my opinions on the commentators are just that, personal opinions.

Ossington Mental Youth
03-22-2011, 12:48 PM
thought it was decent enough, room for improvement (cant think of anything off the top of my head) but wasnt disappointed in any manner

TFC USA
03-22-2011, 01:13 PM
I missed the days when I could watch TFC on TV regularly and only 70,000 or so people knew we sucked ass instead of quadruple that.

rocker
03-22-2011, 01:23 PM
camera man was zooming in way too much at the beginning... he must be a hockey camera man.
sometimes you could only see 2-3 players in the frame. LOL.

ensco
03-22-2011, 02:43 PM
Nice ratings number. Really impressive. But it's not even close to the biggest ratings ever for an MLS game in Canada.

CBC got 500,000 or so for a TFC-DCU game in May 2007 that got a huge spillover benefit from an NHL playoff game that ended seconds before kickoff.

Compared to the 100,000-150,000 TFC were getting for Saturday afternoon games on CBC, it's superb. But methinks games that involve only Vancouver or Toronto will go back to the historical averages.

Roogsy
03-22-2011, 02:44 PM
I am so happy we got killed in front of such a large number of people.


:lol:

This one made me chuckle...

Roogsy
03-22-2011, 02:45 PM
On a personal note...I really gave TSN the gears for not promoting this game and of course these past few years I have been very vocal about my dislike of TSN's soccer coverage.

I will have to eat my words here. They promoted the game well and gave it a professional broadcast. The numbers speak for themselves and maybe on the topic of TSN I should shut up for a while.

My bad Carts...

Keyman
03-22-2011, 02:57 PM
I thought the production value from TSN was far superior to that of CBC. It just seemed more professional.