The Brioux Report: wrong teams, afternoon scheduling has hammered hockey ratings

Okay, now Philly is out. Is anyone in Canada going to watch a Jersey/Phoenix Stanley Cup final?

This year’s NHL playoffs are shaping up to be a big step back for broadcasters CBC and TSN. Viewers are likely to shift their attentions to the many series and season finales airing on other networks over the next few weeks.

Here’s how all it all played out across Canada in prime time among adults 2+ the week of April 30 to May 6 according to overnight estimates:

Maria vamps it up with Derek on Dancing with the Stars

MONDAY

Think the Stanley Cup ratings aren’t slumping? Rangers/Capitals drew 1,286,000 CBC viewers Monday, about half what Rangers/Ottawa drew the week before (2,510,000).

Bones began Global’s night with 1,682,000 counted in the overnight estimates. A new House drew 1,852,000 as it heads toward a series finale. Hawaii FIVE-0 surfed up to 1,967,000 at 10.

CTV saw ratings slip a little again on another two hour The Voice (1,076,000). Castle followed at 10 with 1,604,000 overnight viewers.

Another two hour Dancing with the Stars on CTV Two was up at 1,318,000 viewers.  Smash did the usual 451,000.

How I met Your Mother opened City’s night at 8 with 747,000 viewers, followed by 2 Broke Girls (811,000). Canada’s Got Talent fell to 311,000 for a 30-minute Semi-Final. Rules of Engagement did 169,000 at 9:30 and Showtime addition Shameless did 169,000 at 10.

A Jays game drew 589,000 on Sportsnet National, 375,000 of that in Ontario. Kings/Blues drew 585,000 Stanley Cup fans at TSN.

Bering Sea Gold (290,000) was the big draw at Discovery. Top Chef Canada simmered to 252,000 on Food, same tally as WWE Raw on Score. Midsomer Murders killed on TVO (284,000).

TUESDAY

There was Glee at Global with 1,558,000 catching the show at 8 p.m. A new episode of NCIS: Los Angeles soared to 2,206,000 viewers. NCIS managed 1,016,000 at 10.

CTV found 1,570,000 with Missing. A results episode of The Voice did 1,005,000. Unforgettable ended CTV’s night with 1,308,000.

New Jersey/Philadelphia drew 1,348,000 for their second round game on CBC.

CTV Two plugged in another rerun of Flashpoint (176,000) followed by a Dancing with the Stars results show (1,116,000), where Jaleel White was given the boot. CTV Two’s night ended with Fashion Star (274,000).

City stuck to its Tuesday night comedies Last Man Standing (385,000) followed by Cougar Town (356,000), New Girl (620,000) and Parks & Recreation (292,000). Private Practice ended the night at 10 (489,000).

The Blue Jays continue to swing a hot bat at Sportsnet, pulling 605,000 against Texas. Pawn Stars fetched 408,000 and 549,000 on History, where American Pickers picked up another 305,000. Deadliest Catch landed 400,000 viewers on Discovery.

Things are looking up for the women on Survivor: One World

WEDNESDAY

                                                  

Survivor One World remained on top Wednesday with 2,155,000 Global viewers. Rookie Blue, which returns with new episodes in late May, was rerun to 442,000. Reruns of The Cleveland Show and The Simpsons drew 138,000 and 159,000 at 10.

American Idol narrowed it down to a Top 5 with 2,031,000 CTV viewers tuning in. A new CSI followed with 2,087,000 at 10.

The round two NHL playoff series featuring New York and Washington drew 1,632,000 Wednesday night on CBC.

NBC has yanked Best Friends Forever, so CTV Two started their night off with back-to-back episodes of Betty White’s Off Their Rockers (440,000, 454,000). A new episode of Criminal Minds brought a huge audience (1,370,000) with Law & Order SVU fetching 559,000.

City stuck with The Middle (276,000), Suburgatory (309,000) and Modern Family (636,000). Don’t Trust the B—in Apartment 23 drew 397,000 followed Revenge at 10 (543,000).

TSN got 354,000 with Phoenix/Nashville. These second round games are slipping down to NBA levels. History scared 458,000 with Swamp People. The Real Housewives of Vancouver slid to 73,000 at 10 p.m. on Slice.

                                                                               

THURSDAY

                                                                                 

The Big Bang Theory remained Canada’s most-watched show with 3,232,000 viewers. Two and a Half Men followed on CTV with 1,672,000. Grey’s Anatomy was next with 2,266,000, with The Mentalist pulling 2,042,000, but then again he knew that already.

An NHL playoff Round Two game featuring Philly/New Jersey drew 1,519,000 on CBC.

The American Idol results hour (1,244,000) was up slightly on CTV Two. America’s Top Model stumbled to 204,000. A Nikita episode drew 64,000 at 10. The Vampire Diaries scared up 330,000 viewers at 7 p.m.

Global had The Exes (154,000) followed by The Office (180,000). Kiefer Sutherland’s new series Touch reached out t0 910,000. Awake woke up 420,000.

City saw 183,000 tune in to Community. A week after that live show, 30 Rock slid to 233,000. Person of Interest interested 770,000 at 9, followed by the new drama Scandal (266,000).

St. Louis/Los Angeles drew 497,000 NHL playoff fans to TSN. The Jays and Angels batted 341,000 on Sportsnet. House of Bryan was open to 339,000 on HGTV.

FRIDAY

CTV opened with Undercover Boss (934,000) followed by Grimm at 9 (1,094,000) and Blue Bloods (1,518,000).

Nashville/Phoenix was the big draw on TSN, scoring 1,083,000 viewers.

No hockey game on the public broadcaster, so CBC made do with a Ron James “Manitoba Bound” comedy special (618,000) and a fifth estate replay (308,000).

Jays and Angels batted 737,000 on Spotsnet.

Global went with The Finder at 8 (1,025,000) followed by Harry’s Law (623,000) and specialty call up Lost Girl (249,000).

CTV Two went with Shark Tank (432,000), CSI: New York (762,000) and Dateline (319,000).

City opened with Who Do You Think You Are (453,000) followed by Fringe (360,000). Mantracker tracked down 133,000 at 10.

King continues to get crowned Fridays at 9 on Showcase (42,000).

SATURDAY          

These Saturday afternoon playoff games are killing CBC. Washington and the Rangers drew 614,000 at 12:30 p.m.

TSN’s coverage of the Canada/USA World Hockey Championships preliminary game drew 399,000.

Buried Saturday at 8 and airing six days after its NBC broadcast, a two hour Celebrity Apprentice was found by 313,000 Global viewers. The Firm managed 445,000 at 10. A new Saturday Night Live did a robust 504,000 at 11:30 p.m. The Listener, which comes back for a third season May 30, repeated to 409,000 at 10 p.m. on CTV.

Phil Keoghan informs Rachel & Dave they just won The Amazing Race

SUNDAY

CBC caught a break with Philly/New Jersey playing an evening weekend game. The round two tilt drew 1,510,000—way less than half what the Canucks pulled on a Sunday two weeks earlier.

On CTV, Once Upon a Time drew 1,601,000 at 7. The Amazing Race finale was big at 2,602,000 but down a few viewers from the week before, at least in overnights. (The two hour length was likely the factor.) GCB pulled 1,046,000 at 10.

Global was back with their usual line-up. The Simpsons drew 817,000 at 8, followed by Bob’s Burgers (490,000). Family Guy did 618,000 and American Dad 427,000. Rookie cop drama NYC 22 arrested 782,000 on Global at 10.

TSN has St. Louis/Los Angeles in the afternoon and scored 651,000 overnight viewers.

Jays batted 486,000 for another game against the Angels on Sportsnet, with 311,000 seeing the game in Ontario.

Canada’s Got Talent slipped way down to 308,000 on City. CTV Two’s big draw was CSI: Miami (331,000).

Bravo saw 140,000 turn up for an hour and 15-minute episode of The Borgias. Justified on Showcase drew 122,000 at 10.

Sunday's wild card was Avatar over on Hamilton's CHCH, which drew 222,000 GTA viewers for the broadcast premiere of the sci-fi blockbuster.

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