TORONTO – The CBC's broadcasts and livestreaming of The Tragically Hip: A National Celebration on Saturday night reached 11.7 million Canadians, or one third of the population, according to preliminary audience figures from Numeris released by the public broadcaster late Sunday.
The live, commercial-free presentation aired on TV and radio plus streamed on the CBC’s website, apps, YouTube channel and Facebook page. The nearly three-hour TV broadcast attracted an average minute audience of 4.04 million, and was also streamed 900,000 times in Canada and around the world.
“It was an honour and a privilege for CBC to bring this unprecedented event to audiences across the country and around the world. This is public broadcasting at its very best,” said Heather Conway, CBC’s EVP English Services, in a statement. “For nearly three hours on a summer Saturday night, an entire nation paused to celebrate and pay tribute together. Thank you to Gord, Paul, Rob, Gord and Johnny for an intimate and unforgettable shared experience.”
The broadcast was the last stop on band’s 15-date sold-out cross-Canada tour that was announced after frontman Gord Downie revealed that he was diagnosed with an incurable form of brain cancer.
In photo, l to r: The Tragically Hip’s Rob Baker, Paul Langlois, Gord Downie, Johnny Faye, and Gord Sinclair.
