Go to main content

MORE THAN A QUARTER OF ALL CANADIANS TUNED IN TO COVERAGE OF THE OPENING DAY OF 2014 FIFA WORLD CUP BRAZIL™ YESTERDAY

More than 5.2 million Canadians watched at least part of the Brazil vs. Croatia match
 
CBC/Radio-Canada’s coverage of 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™ got off to a hot start on Thursday as nearly 27 per cent of Canadians watched at least part of the opening day’s broadcast across all TV and digital platforms. Including coverage in English, French, Spanish and Italian, nearly 9.3 million Canadians took in at least some part of the coverage on Thursday including 400,000 watching via a digital platform.
 
The tournament’s opening match garnered an average audience of more than 1.6 million viewers (2+), 73 per cent higher than the opening match of the 2010 FIFA World Cup™. The audience peaked just less than 2.4 million viewers at 5:50 p.m. ET near the conclusion of the Brazil vs. Croatia game.
 
Overall, the game reached more than 5.2 million Canadians, this represents an increase of nearly 2 million viewers compared to the opening game four years ago. There were two games played on the first day of the 2010 tournament, however the average audience for Thursday’s game was higher than that of both 2010 opening day games.
 
Source: BBM Canada
 
-30-
 
About CBC/Radio-Canada
CBC/Radio-Canada is Canada’s national public broadcaster and one of its largest cultural institutions. The Corporation is a leader in reaching Canadians on new platforms and delivers a comprehensive range of radio, television, internet, and satellite-based services. Deeply rooted in the regions, CBC/Radio-Canada is the only domestic broadcaster to offer diverse regional and cultural perspectives in English, French and eight Aboriginal languages.
 
For a complete list of publicity contacts and for more information including series synopses, press releases, hi-res images, video clips and bios, please visit the CBC Media Centre at cbc.ca/mediacentre. Follow CBC’s publicity team on twitter @CBC_Publicity.
 
For further information, please contact:
Simon Bassett, publicist, CBC Sports
[email protected] 416-205-8533 (Office) 416-988-1590 (Mobile)

Discover

3 hours ago

The Tragically Hip to release live album and CBC to air The Tragically Hip: A National Celebration Concert in full

Relive the night Canada stood still for the live broadcast of The Tragically Hip’s 2016 Man Machine Poem Kingston show, re-broadcasting and streaming commercial-free on Saturday, August 22, 2026 at 7 p.m. local time on CBC TV, CBC Gem, CBC Radio and CBC Music’s YouTube page.
May 4th at 11:05

Son of a Critch Gets Ready to Graduate as Cameras Roll on the Final Season of the Coming-of-Age Comedy

As production begins on Season 5 of Son of a Critch (12x30), co-creator, executive producer and star Mark Critch announced today that the upcoming season will be the series’ last.
April 23rd at 11:29

CBC and BBC Northern Ireland Greenlight New Romantic Comedy Series Committed, Starring Dustin Milligan and Diona Doherty

CBC and BBC Northern Ireland today announced the greenlight of new original comedy series Committed (10x30), starring Dustin Milligan (Schitt’s Creek, Hot Frosty) and Diona Doherty (Derry Girls, Blue Lights).
April 21st at 10:40

New to CBC Gem in May 2026

Highlights of programs new to CBC Gem this May include the 2026 Canadian Screen Awards, hosted by Andrew Phung on May 31; the Asian Heritage Month Collection featuring documentary series Our Ocean Table (May 1) with journalist Hannah Sung and marine biologist and filmmaker Sonya Lee; and new CBC Kids original series Tralala (May 19), following the musical adventures of a seven-year-old frog and her dad. 
April 14th at 5:55

CBC Launches New Spring/Summer 2026 Podcast Slate

CBC, the #1 Canadian podcaster, is launching a new spring/summer slate of original podcasts, including in-depth investigations, candid personal revelations, and lighthearted comedy.