Women’s Gold Medal Hockey Game Nets Big Streaming Numbers

Canada’s stunning 3-2 overtime victory over the U.S. in the gold medal women’s hockey matchup on Thursday from Sochi also produced gold for NBC Sports Digital.

NBC Sports Digital said 1.2 million unique users streamed the game, generating 34.9 million minutes of online consumption, making it the most-streamed game for the unit outside its live, unauthenticated streaming coverage of Super Bowl XLVI between the New York Giants and New England Patriots on Feb. 5, 2012.

Thursday’s game, offered to authenticated pay-TV subs on NBCOlympics.com and the NBC Sports Live Extra app, surpassed Wednesday’s men’s hockey quarterfinal between the U.S. and Czech Republic (798,337 uniques) and the 2012 London Olympics women’s soccer final between Team USA and Japan in minutes consumed (29.7 million).

NBC Sports Digital said Friday’s men’s semifinal hockey match between the U.S. and Canada (11:30 a.m. ET) could surpass today’s streaming numbers.