Postponed by rainy weather and pushed into NBC's primetime,
the National Hockey League's Winter Classic on New Year's Day become the
league's most-watched regular season game in 36 years.
The game, won by the Washington Capitals over the Pittsburgh Penguins, was seen
by 4.5 million viewers, according to Nielsen fast national data, up 22% from
last year's classic, which aired in the afternoon from Boston's famed Fenway
Park.
Played under the stars-with help from the lights at Pittsburgh's Heinz
Field-the contest drew a 2.3 national household rating/4 share, up 10% from a
year ago.
With hockey in its lineup, NBC finished first among the broadcast networks with
a 1.8 rating/5 share in adults 18 to 49. NBC was third in total viewers,
trailing CBS and Fox.
In Pittsburgh, the game drew a 32 rating/46 share and in Washington, it pulled
a 7.6 rating/13 share.
