FIFA World Cup TV ratings bonanza: Matildas smash major footy codes
Nobody watches women’s sport, they say. TV ratings from the World Cup knockout clash between the Matildas and Denmark beg to differ.
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The Matildas have knocked off the AFL and NRL grand finals and State of Origin with blockbuster TV ratings for the win over Denmark on Monday night.
More than 3.5 million watched the 2-0 victory on Channel 7 – 3.18m on TV and 385,000 on the 7Plus streaming service.
The audience was the highest for any television show this year, not only knocking off the footy codes but Married at First Sight and all the big reality shows.
Seven’s coverage of the World Cup has now reached 9.25 million on free to air and another 1.67 million in 7plus.
And with superstar striker Sam Kerr back in the mix, the darlings of Australian sport could knock off Ash Barty’s record-breaking viewership of her Australian Open win last year.
About 3.6 million viewers tuned in across Australia in January last year to watch Barty beat American Danielle Collins and become the first Australian to win the tournament in 44 years.
But Barty’s rein could be over, with Kerr’s sudden availability and Australia’s surge into the final eight of a home World Cup, expected to deliver a monster TV audience on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Kerr has revealed she originally planned to return from a calf injury for Australia’s must win game against Canada in the group stage but waited until the knockout phase where she sent a scare through the Aussie camp but soldiered on in a famous 2-0 win over Denmark.
Kerr missed the entire group stage with a calf injury that was kept secret until an hour before the opening game, with her fitness status so heavily guarded that a helicopter was sent to get pictures at training on Sunday.
She again started on the bench on Monday and drew the biggest roar of the night when she came on in the 80th minute to get some match fitness with Australia already 2-0 up.
“I was actually going to play last game, but the girls smashed it so they didn’t need me, and then I thought we might as well give it a rest,” she told Channel 7.
“Even today there was an opportunity that I wouldn’t play if the girls smashed it, but we thought it was best for me and the team (to come on).
“Me coming on was a big relief after a big three weeks.”
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Originally published as FIFA World Cup TV ratings bonanza: Matildas smash major footy codes
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