NHL playoffs rule TV
Hey, did you know that Canadians like to watch hockey? I know, shocking. But it was particularly clear a couple of weeks ago, when the first round of the NHL playoffs aired. The various games and related programs landed in four of the top 30 national ratings spots.
Not to be outdone, baseball fans shot the April 11 Blue Jays home opener against Milwaukee into the top 10. Too bad they somewhat predictably lost 4-3 — the team hasn’t won its first game of the season in Toronto since 2011 — but at least Troy Tulowitzki had some bourbon in his bat, driving in all three Toronto runs.
Elsewhere in the ratings, the Saturday Night Live episode hosted by Jimmy Fallon edged in north of the top 20, and two homegrown series — MasterChef Canada and Big Brother Canada — continued to hustle for representation.
Hockey dominated in major cities across the country, landing on top in the hometowns of the Calgary Flames, Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs. In Vancouver and Edmonton, The Big Bang Theory won out.
Here are the top programs in Canada for the week of April 10-16, the most recent ratings available at press time, courtesy of audience measurement organization Numeris:
1. The Big Bang Theory (Thurs.), CTV
2. NHL Playoffs Round 1 (Wed.-Sat), CBC
3. Survivor, Global
4. Designated Survivor, CTV
5. Grey’s Anatomy, CTV
6. Blue Bloods, CTV
7. Hawaii Five-0, Global
8. MacGyver, Global
9. Baseball: Blue Jays, Sportsnet National
10. The Voice, CTV
11. The Amazing Race, CTV
12. CTV Evening News, CTV
13. NHL Playoffs Round 1 (Thurs. & Sat), CBC
14. Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders, CTV
15. Hockey Central, Sportsnet National
16. MasterChef Canada, CTV
17. Saturday Night Live, Global
18. Chicago Med, Global
19. Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., CTV
20. NCIS, Global
21. Big Brother Canada (Mon.), Global
22. CTV National News, CTV
23. Bull, Global
24. Big Brother Canada (Wed.), Global
25. The Blacklist: Redemption, Global
26. Big Brother Canada (Thurs.), Global
27. The Voice Results, CTV
28. NHL Playoffs Round 1 (Wed.-Sun.), Sportsnet National
29. Chicago Justice, Global
30. Man With a Plan, Global