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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sunday, February 16th, 2014

USA-RUSSIA OLYMPIC MEN’S HOCKEY THRILLER MOST-WATCHED HOCKEY GAME EVER ON NBCSN & LEADS NETWORK TO RECORD DAYTIME VIEWERSHIP

Winter Olympics to Date: NBC Primetime Up 14% in Viewership and 8% in Household Rating from Last European Winter Games in Torino in 2006

NBC’s Saturday Night Primetime Triples Other Broadcast Networks Combined in Viewership

Jimmy Fallon Debuts as Host of “The Tonight Show” Tomorrow, Monday, Feb. 17 at 12 Midnight ET Following Olympics & Late Local News

STAMFORD, Conn. – February 16, 2014 – NBCSN averaged 4.1 million viewers for Saturday’s thrilling USA-Russia Olympic men’s hockey game (7:30-10:30 a.m. ET/4:30-7:30 a.m. PT) – setting a record for the most-watched hockey game in the network’s history (previous: 4.0 million for Blackhawks-Bruins in 2013 Stanley Cup Finals Game 3), according to live plus same day fast national data released today by The Nielsen Company.  Viewership for the game peaked at 6.4 million from 10-10:30 a.m. ET during the tension-laden, eight-round shootout and is the most-watched half hour in NBCSN history.

The telecast of Team USA’s memorable men’s hockey victory led NBCSN to its best-ever daytime viewership (2.9 million viewers) and marked the third consecutive weekend day that NBCSN set a viewership record after last weekend’s milestone opening Saturday and Sunday telecasts of the Sochi Games.

• For the Sochi Games to date, NBC is averaging 23.5 million viewers and a 13.2 household rating/21 share from the Opening Ceremony through last night – up 14% and 8% respectively from the last European Winter Olympics (20.6 million viewers and 12.2/20 for 2006 Torino Games).

• Last night’s primetime Olympics on NBC (8:30-11 p.m. ET) averaged 17.1 million viewers – more than tripling the combined primetime viewership of ABC, CBS and FOX (5.3 million). In addition, last night’s 9.6 household rating/17 share more than doubled that for the other three networks (3.5 household rating). The comparable Saturday night for the 2006 Torino Games averaged 19.7 million viewers and an 11.3 rating/19 share while the 2010 Vancouver Olympics averaged 26.7 million viewers and a 14.7 rating/26 share.

TOP 10 METERED MARKETS FOR SATURDAY’S NBC PRIMETIME COVERAGE:

ABOUT NBC OLYMPICS

A division of the NBC Sports Group, NBC Olympics is responsible for producing, programming and promoting NBCUniversal’s Olympic coverage. It is renowned for its unsurpassed Olympic heritage, award-winning production, and ability to aggregate the largest audiences in U.S. television history.

–NBC OLYMPICS–