Matildas vs Denmark shatters the TV rating record books for 2023

The Matildas have blown the AFL and NRL out of the water as they shattered the record books in blistering fashion on Monday night.

The Matildas are rewriting the record books. (Photo by Steven Markham/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Australia is getting around the Matildas like no other sporting event we’ve seen.

The records tumbled on Monday night as fans crammed into Sydney’s Accor Stadium to witness the Matildas take down Denmark 2-0.

On Tuesday morning however even more records fell by the wayside with the TV ratings showing the Aussie team obliterating every other sporting code.

The round of 16 contest pulled in more viewers than last year’s AFL and NRL Grand Finals while also taking down the State of Origin.

More than 3.5 million watched the dominant display on Channel 7 – 3.18m on TV and 385,000 on the 7plus streaming service.

Not only did it leave every other sporting code in its dust, it toppled every major reality show, becoming the highest audience for any television show so far in 2023.

If we go a step further the Matildas game last night outrated every NRL Grand Final and State of Origin since 2016, while it toppled five of the past seven AFL Grand Finals.

Seven’s coverage of the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023™ has reached 9.25 million broadcast viewers plus another 1.67 million on 7plus.

Get around em. (Photo by Matt King - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)

The showing on Monday night means the Matildas could be on the brink of taking down Ash Barty’s record-breaking figures when she won the Australian Open in 2022.

Around 3.6 million viewers tuned in last year to watch Barty beat American Danielle Collins as she became the first Australian to win the tournament in 44 years.

The Matildas will now prepare for their quarterfinal contest which will take place on Saturday, August 12 in Brisbane with the match getting underway at 5pm (AEST).

Brisbane Stadium is expected to be completely sold out after a capacity crowd turned out to Sydney’s Stadium Australia to witness history.

While the official figure sat at 75,784 (the FIFA-sanctioned capacity), it is understood that the unofficial figure is higher and more tickets than that were sold to the fixture as officials looked to allow as many fans into the stadium as possible.

It marked one of the largest women’s football attendances of all time, and the highest ever in Australia, with the record now hit three times in recent memory courtesy of the Matildas’ tournament opener against Ireland (75,784) and the send-off friendly against France at Marvel Stadium (50,629).

The Matildas are rewriting the record books. (Photo by Steven Markham/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Journalist Tom Williams said Olympic Park was “absolutely rammed”, with “people everywhere”.

“Vibes immaculate, seas of green and gold everywhere you can look,” Williams wrote ahead of the clash.

“This is gonna be a special night I reckon.”

ABC’s Samantha Lewis echoed Williams’ sentiments, and noted the impact on the game across the country.

“90 minutes til kick-off and outside Stadium Australia is a VIBE,” Lewis wrote.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many Matildas jerseys in one place in my whole life.

“These are the moments so many people have dreamt of.”

News Corp’s Martin Gabor said the noise when Mary Fowler put Caitlin Foord through for the opener was louder than any he had ever heard before at the former Olympic stadium.

“I have heard loud noises at (Stadium Australia) before,” Gabor wrote.

“None louder than the raucous cheers from everyone at the ground when the Storm won the 2012 Grand Final.

“That was on another level.”