As if beating France to reach a historic Women’s World Cup semi-final on home soil wasn’t enough, the Matildas have raised the bar even higher by becoming the biggest television ratings hit in Australia in more than two decades.
The Seven Network, the tournament’s free-to-air broadcaster, said a peak audience of 7.2 million people tuned in for Australia’s 7-6 penalty shootout win over the French in Brisbane on Saturday.
Cathy Freeman’s iconic 400-metre final at the Sydney Olympics reportedly attracted a record 8.8 million viewers, although OZTam data was not tracked in 2000.
An average of 4.17 million tuned in to the quarter-final on the Seven Network, which said it enjoyed a record 472,000 viewers streaming the game on their digital arm 7Plus.
Those figures do not reflect fans watching in public places or viewers who watched the match on Optus Sport.
It signified a monumental day for Australia with the Matildas receiving congratulations from across the sporting landscape.
(Photo by Chris Hyde – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
John Aloisi, who etched his name into folklore with the penalty which sent the Socceroos to the 2006 World Cup, took delight in match-winner Cortnee Vine surpassing him as Australia’s most talked about penalty-taker.
“I’m happy to be relegated (to second), I don’t care,” Aloisi said during commentary for the Seven Network.
“We’re in a semi final and this is what a World Cup does, it brings the whole nation together.”
Australian wheelchair tennis icon Dylan Alcott quipped on social media: “My god that was the closest I’ve ever been to standing up.”
Vision from pubs, live sites and lounge rooms reflected the mood of the nation as Australia rejoiced in a victory that has them on a collision course with England in Wednesday’s semi-final.
There were also scenes of supporters streaming the Matildas match while attending NRL and AFL matches.
Carlton wingman Blake Acres and his teammates had an eye on the Matildas before their AFL clash with Melbourne but admitted to being confused by the noise in the MCG stands once their game had started.
“I remember they just kept cheering throughout the first quarter and I didn’t know what was going on,” Acres said.
“It was obviously the penalty shootout they were cheering for.
“Then when they went crazy at quarter-time I was just looking up at the (big screen) and saw a cheese advert on there, I was like, ‘what’s going on here? They’re celebrating cheese’.”
Stevo
Roar Rookie
Apologies. Total cost of ground is $750M, feds to commit $240M https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/federal-government-set-to-commit-240m-to-new-tasmania-stadium/news-story/f28f2361fc2b7b47541cf1d70c1a9dd9 OK, only a lazy $240M.
moe_syzlak
Roar Rookie
where is the evidence the fed govt has committed $700 million to the proposed tassie stadium?
Waz
Roar Rookie
I would agree. Unfortunately Melbourne’s problem is the opposite of Brisbane’s problem: Melbourne has a perfect boutique stadium but no big rectangular stadium suitable for major events. Brisbane has a perfect rectangular stadium ideal for major events but no boutique stadium.
Stevo
Roar Rookie
I think Ian Wright agrees with me :thumbup: https://www.theage.com.au/sport/soccer/the-iconic-picture-ian-wright-says-proves-australia-is-a-football-nation-20230814-p5dw9s.html 'All I’m hearing is public holiday this and that. Rather hold the government to investing in a clear plan for football and infrastructure.’
liquorbox_
Roar Rookie
I would imagine per capita the Brisbane crowds would be bigger than Sydney and Melbourne so they have done pretty well
chris1
Roar Rookie
The govt needs to put money where its needed. Not to appease a few suits at AFL hq. What a white elephant that will be in Hobart. The same with the Football needs the money to build up infrastructure. Look at the money they wasted in Sydney for GWS. They get 3-5k max. On Saturday night the Ch 7 ratings went from over 820,000 for the Matildas to 12,000 for the AFL. This is in Sydney. They lost over 800,000 viewers in an instant. No one cares about AFL in half the country. Start spending the money where it's needed and the whole country can benefit.
Aiden
Roar Rookie
Quite cowardly the way that you get utterly served and then fail to drop back in and offer your apologies.
Christo the Daddyo
Roar Rookie
I repeat, none of the regular tenants regularly fill the existing capacity. Why increase the capacity to 50k? Seems an insane waste of money to me.
moe_syzlak
Roar Rookie
fact check – where has the fed govt said its committing $700 million for the tasmania stadium? this is just a big fat lie ….. by all means push your unhinged sokkah victimhood nonsense for all youre worth (i get a good larf out of it and i sure others do too) ……. but lets not go down the trumpian route and spread absolute BS LIES
Waz
Roar Rookie
No Mates, Brisbane has again stood up with average crowds of nearly 44k for the 7 games held so far - and one of those was a match played simultaneously with Matilda’s must win game vs Canada (and Suncorp nearly matched AAMI Park attendance). The official capacity is 52,500 for normal Gane’s, for this WC it’s quoted as 46,500 which is the number of tickets available to the general public each game. Two sections in L6 are blocked off and reserved for the worlds press, and for some inexplicable reason FIFA have gone with over-sized dugouts that block off the first 8 rows of seats in 4 sections, which is about 500-600 seats unavailable - this is the same gif all stadiums snd seems unnecessary.
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
It was complete idiocy not to make AAMI park 40k to be a world cup stadium at the time. BY being stupid enough to put 3 teams in Melbourne now there is really no need. Melbourne Storm how much of their support is paying to get in always up for conjecture,
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
There is a mix of funding and of course blackmailing owners threatening to move unless they get more, unlike here people are really critical in the US even include the cost of roads and transport links . Wembley stadium public funding was about 1/4 of the cost . Where exactly are these Perth teams going to go in WA. The difference is you could say EPL teams because of tradition have no options, US teams because they have so many population centers and their fans are so fluid will pick up a moving team with a full fan base can perform blackmail, AFL teams they have no hand but are master beggars it seems.
Gary
Roar Rookie
Under 5ft. I'll see myself out.
Gary
Roar Rookie
Football stadiums are (all?) paid for by state govts in the US, and there has been much critical reporting on the lack of ROI for this spend for privately owned football teams. Wembley stadium was publicly funded. I suspect most football stadiums in UK receive some form of local govt funding and concessions. Is there any stadium in the world that covers it's own costs, both construction and maintenance, and running expenses? Probably not.
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
In America they might get concessions over things like taxes and land but they pay for the stadiums themselves, in England the EPL teams get no assistance to build stadiums. Its all self funded which is the best situation that the tax payer should expect, not what happens in Australia.
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
Your the one pretending these stadiums are paying for themselves. States compete against each other for all international cricket matches, the Big Bash they will go to the WACA so they wouldn't pay a premium to pay there. Ed Sheehan could do a concert in an open field as well, but then they would have to pay to bring all the stuff there and the field would be cheaper. Still the concerts are probably the only events that make the stadium money. If Subiaco was too small let the AFL pay for it to be upgraded, govt money went into Subiabo as well. Previously Subiaco as a monopoly overcharged for a dump, that is good economic sense. That mean the local state association made great money off the AFL teams that played there, and the same thing in Adelaide. So because state governments stepped in and built these new stadiums at massive costs the local state association then has missed out on the money, So to make up for that despite the governments paying for these enormously expensive stadiums they redirect the stadium hire money to the local state association to make up for the money they lost. The facts that the public are being constantly misinformed by govts indicates they dont want people to know the truth.
At work
Roar Rookie
Certainly 80k would be a waste, but replacing the gorgeous roof and increasing AAMI Park's capacity to 50k would be worthwhile. They have 4 full-time tenants, who in good times I would argue Victory and Storm would warrant an increased capacity. But for all 4 should a home final be hosted they'd utilise a bigger stadium.
Christo the Daddyo
Roar Rookie
You want the govt to build an 80k capacity rectangular stadium in Melbourne for an event that Australia will almost certainly not get? And even if it did, it would achieve capacity…how many times? None of the rectangular codes are regularly pushing the capacity of the 30k AAMI Park…
Christo the Daddyo
Roar Rookie
How is a capacity crowd “small”? Only factual answers please…
Gary
Roar Rookie
Stadia infrastructure is expensive, and i doubt any modern stadium (round or rectangular) has paid for itself. The best you can hope for is to get as much use as possible out of it. In terms of govt misspend, the list is long and stadia probably wouldn't rate very high. Sport is a significant part of Australian culture and community - it's ok to celebrate/worship at these "temples" for the people.