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The opening State of Origin match for 2014 has beaten the record for the most viewers of an opening game in the history of the series.
Each and every year the build-up to State of Origin seems to get longer and longer (and in some ways more ridiculous) but there can be no doubt that it is one of the biggest events on the sporting calendar, and is only getting bigger every year.
MORE ORIGIN:
>> Highlights, live blog and reaction
>> Full time report
>> State of Origin Game 1 player ratings
>> SMITHY: New Blues show discipline is the trick
>> O’CONNELL: Five talking points from Origin 1
>> Cheap Seats Podcast: Origin 1 special
The game, on the 28th May, had the biggest audience in Origin Series history for an opening game with a metropolitan and regional audience of 4.058 million viewers. For those living under a rock, NSW defeated Queensland 12-8.
The details of the audience, released by the NRL, are as follows:
Last night’s match on the Nine, WIN and NBN Networks was:
· The highest rating show on Australian television so far in 2014;
· The most-watched series opener in Origin history (up from 3.972m in 2013);
· The third most-watched Origin match all of all time, after the 2013 and 2012 series deciders;
· Attracted the biggest ever Sydney audience (1.228 million; up 6% from 1.158m in 2013);
· Achieved the highest network share of the year (44.6% across the 5 City Metro)
NRL CEO Dave Smith hailed the ratings as a great result for the game:
“This was a special night in Origin history and the players deserve congratulations for the spectacle they provided for the fans at Suncorp Stadium and the millions of viewers around the world”.
“The opener to the telecast was simply brilliant and set the stage for one of the classic Origin games.
“Like every other Rugby League fan, I can’t wait for Game II in Sydney.”
Here is a breakdown of the statistics of the broadcast from last night’s match:
· Recorded an audience of 2.596 million viewers across the 5 City Metro market (up from 2.522m in 2013).
· Recorded an average audience of 747,000 in Brisbane, with a peak of 810,00, and achieved the largest regional Queensland audience ever (563,584), up 14% on Game 1 in 2013;
· Achieved the biggest Adelaide audience for an opening match of the series (86,000), up 4% on 2013;
· Achieved the biggest Victorian regional audience for a series opener (118,083, up 10% from Game 1 last year);
· Recorded an audience of 109,000 on GEM in Perth, up 71% on Game 1 last year.
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