Virtual broadcast specials drawing record-breaking audiences

Sunday night’s all-Canadian special, Stronger Together, Tous Ensemble, has made history as the most-watched (non-sports) Canadian broadcast on record, drawing 11.5 million viewers.

According to preliminary Numeris data, nearly one in three Canadians watched some part of the broadcast on 44 television networks. Audiences peaked at more than 6.1 million viewers during the world premiere of ArtistsCAN’s multi-artist “Lean on Me” charity single. Overall, the 90-minute special has a preliminary overnight audience of 5.6 million viewers on multiple television networks. The special also reached hundreds of thousands of others across 120 platforms spanning radio, online and on demand.

So far, more than $6 million has been raised in support of Food Banks Canada.

The special is the biggest multi-platform broadcast in Canadian history with 15 broadcasting groups – led by Bell Media, CBC/Radio-Canada, Corus Entertainment, Groupe V Média, and Rogers Sports & Media – coming together. Nearly 100 Canadian artists, activists, actors, and athletes, including Céline Dion, Justin Bieber, Bryan Adams, Mike Myers, Shania Twain, and Drake, appeared or performed during the broadcast.

Stronger Together, Tous Ensemble is just the latest tribute to workers on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic to draw a big TV audience.

Numeris says worldwide TV and streaming special One World: Together At Home, which aired Apr. 18 across Corus, Rogers, Bell and CBC platforms in Canada, drew almost 11 million Canadians.

Rock for Relief: A Living Room Concert for Vancouver Island, which aired on CHEK-TV Victoria Apr. 17, raised $691,000 for the Rapid Relief Fund and Community Response Fund. According to audience data supplied by CHEK, one in five viewers in the market watched the special with an additional 230,000 views on CHEK’s Facebook and Youtube channels where the event was streamed.

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