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2014 Winter Classic ties ratings record

Winter Classic Maple Leafs Red Wings Hockey

In a photo provided by National Hockey League Images and taken with a fisheye lens, a record crowd watches the Detroit Red Wings and the Toronto Maple Leafs play in the Winter Classic outdoor NHL hockey game at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Mich., Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2014. (AP Photo/NHLI, Noah Graham)

AP

The 2014 Winter Classic between the Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs in Michigan Stadium was a close game, in the snow, and with a massive crowd. Now we know that it was also one of the most viewed Winter Classics to date.

With a 2.9 overnight rating on NBC, the match tied the high set by the 2009 version of this event and, for that matter, a regular season contest in general.

It’s success is particularly noteworthy as it was also the first Winter Classic to feature a Canadian team. Toronto eked out a 3-2 shootout victory over the Red Wings. It also means that the two most viewed outdoor games featured Detroit, which earned a 6-4 win over Chicago at Wrigley Field in 2009.

Detroit was the leading market for yesterday’s contest with an 18.0 rating. Buffalo and Pittsburgh earned 7.2 and 7.0 ratings respectively.

For more information, head to NBC’s press release.

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Bettman calls 2014 Winter Classic ‘everything we hoped for’

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