Rogers stepped up big time for the third season of Canada’s Got Talent, pledging a million dollar first prize win for the successful finalist. Big money from sponsors was also added throughout the season for judge’s buzzer winners. It all added up to the biggest TV prize money in Canadian television history.
Tuesday’s finale saw 20-year-old singer Rebecca Strong from Prince Albert, Sask., impress judges Howie Mandel, Trish Stratus, Kardinal Offishall and Lilly Singh as well as fans voting from home to win the million dollar prize.
The two hour finale on Citytv drew 532,000 viewers across Canada in overnight estimates. More viewers will be tallied once the Live+7 numbers, as well as digital viewing, is factored in. (All numbers are estimates of viewers ages two and up).
While that might seem like a lot, a half million is the new million in Canadian TV numbers in the streaming era when it comes to assessing an overnight audience. Consider, also, what the broadcast competition alone was drawing that same night.
The big attraction was on another Rogers property — Stanley Cup playoff hockey. Leafs fans tend to turn off or destroy their flat screens after another early Bud’s bow out, but the second round series between two Canadian teams — the Edmonton Oilers and the Vancouver Canucks — is still a big draw across the country. Tuesdays Oilers-Canucks game, which began late at close to 10 p.m. ET, drew a combined total of 2,144,000 in overnights (Sportsnet National 1,323,000; CBC 821,000).
The earlier game Tuesday between two American teams — Boston and Florida, drew just over one million combined (Sportsnet 519,000; CBC 493,000). The Stanley Cup ratings rule, to over simplifiy, is this: Leafs, 4 million. Other Canadian teams, half that. American teams, half that again.
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Tuesday night also saw CTV and Global’s parade of American procedural simulcasts draw around the half million mark in overnight estimates. For example: CTV’s Will Trent (532k), The Rookie (648k) and The Good Doctor (484k).
Global’s trio of FBI dramas arrested 541k (FBI), FBI International (490k) and FBI: Most Wanted (464,000).
