For those that don’t know, Seattle households with Xfinity (Comcast) service, get the CBC (Canadian Broadcast Corporation) channel. I don’t have the data, but I believe Comcast has the majority of the market in the area. It is rare that the same game is on NBC/NBCSC and CBC but when it happens, it is the big games like the Stanley Cup Finals or like last Wednesday, for the Winter Classic. So when Steve Lepore tweeted about the NBC Seattle ratings of the Winter Classic I was happy but I also knew that it was a little diluted due to this CBC factor.
Seattle: 2.3 rating for the 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. PT portion of the game. Sacramento was the only pacific time zone market with higher numbers.
— Steve Lepore (@stevelepore) January 2, 2014
I then posed the question to you Facebook followers to get a biased and unscientific sense of how much these ratings were diluted. I say biased because the masses that tune into the Classic are not the hardcore hockey fans. They probably don’t follow the Facebook page and might not even know that CBC exists on Comcast. Thank you all for responding and sharing your opinions. 64 people responded…here are the results and some of the best comments.
One thing is clear, we all hate the 6%ers….ok maybe we are just a little jealous. Here are some of the best comments people left on the facebook page: The CBC watchers are much more adamant about their broadcast choice:
I’m pretty consistent in choosing CBC unless I don’t have a choice. Feel they do a better job and you can see commercials for poutine pizza and McDonalds poutine! -Andy Eide
First and third NBC, intermissions and second CBC. – Pat Fredell
CBC, American coverage of events is so bad it’s offensive, it’s the only reason I pay for cable is for hockey on CBC – Brian Earl
CBC all the way. Doc Emrick makes me want to claw my ears off. LeeAnne Beres
I tend to go wherever Pierre McGuire isn’t. -Matt Ritchie
CBC…better broadcasters. Bar none. Appreciate NBC showing it though.-Dutch Evans
NBC have to listen to Doc and Eddie O. NBC had good intermission programming. Was going to flip to CBC to catch Don Cherry but forgot. – Rob Iacullo
From Seattle. Watched from the stands. Great time -JRe Sullivan
Watched at friends (65″ TV) who had Direct TV satellite dish, so NBC. DVR the game on CBC for repeat viewing -Norm Dupuis
CBC. There is no other option if you’re Canadian. -Darren Marr
CBC. When I can choose, its always Canadian coverage. -Patty Booker
My son and I were watching CBUT-better hockey commentators there and fewer commercials (and the ones that were on were Canadian and funny) -Jane Brosius
Better commentators on CBC? I think not! Doc Emrick called the game on NBC. Can’t get any better than Doc. -Dean Schmitz
NBC. don’t get CBC except for few games not don cherry fan so gotta go with NBC don’t have to listen to don cherry -Aaron Rivers
NBC Doc Emrick is the man – Tom Wiemann
There you have it. Split down the middle. One interesting side note is that with Rodgers Canadian TV deal, CBC might not carry the classic next year, so we might not have a choice next year.
