DEL Winter Game Nets Top Ratings, Most-Successful DEL Game On ServusTV Yet

Austrian-based TV channel ServusTV scored high ratings for its live broadcast of the German Hockey League's (DEL) first outdoor game on Saturday. The five-hour broadcast of the DEL Winter Game between the Nuremberg Ice Tigers and the Eisbären Berlin from Nuremberg received a peak market share of 2.3% in the target demographic of 14-49 year-old viewers. The Winter Game, therefore, was the most-successful DEL game on ServusTV with a target demographic peak audience of 240,000 viewers. In the target demographic, an average of 160,000 watched Nuremberg's home victory against Berlin (DEL).

THE FINAL FLY: DWDL's Alexander Krei reported German public broadcasters ARD and ZDF "are excited about an increased audience interest in ski jumping's annual Vierschanzentournee." The fourth and final event from Bischofshofen, Austria attracted 6.57 million viewers on Sunday. Overall, all four ski jumping events combined had an average audience of 5.6 million viewers on ARD and ZDF, which is 1.1 million more than the previous year. In addition, the '12-13 Vierschanzentournee obtained a market share of 28.1%. Last year, the event had a 23.4% share. Not only ARD and ZDF "were able to count on the Vierschanzentournee," sports broadcaster Eurosport attracted an additional 440,000 viewers to Sunday's final event. The number translated into a market share of 1.9%. In the target demographic, the victory of Austrian Gregor Schlierenzauer received a 1.3% share. Meanwhile, the ratings for Eurosport's biathlon broadcast on Sunday "were not as successful as ski jumping." The women's pursuit race from Oberhof, Germany, which aired at 1pm local time, attracted only 190,000 viewers. The men's pursuit race, which followed the women's race, attracted only slightly more people, 200,000 viewers, and had a market share of 1%. On ZDF both races attracted more than 5 million viewers (DWDL, 1/7).

SPLISH SPLASH: In London, Mark Sweney reported ITV's Tom Daley-fronted celebrity diving contest Splash! "made waves with viewers, attracting an average audience of 5.6 million viewers on Sunday." The five-part series, hosted by Gabby Logan and Vernon Kay, "attracted decidedly mixed reviews, but won its 7:15pm-8:15pm slot with an average audience share of 23.6%. Splash! had a 15-minute peak of 5.9 million viewers" (GUARDIAN, 1/7).