Semi-final defeat most watched TV show in Australia on record

The Matildas' semi-final decision to England successful the Women's World Cup has go the astir watched tv amusement successful Australia connected record.

The crippled drew 11.15 cardinal viewers astatine its highest connected Wednesday arsenic shot fever gripped the big nation.

Host broadcaster Channel Seven said an mean assemblage of 7.13 cardinal tuned successful for the Sydney match.

"The Matildas person rewritten the past books," said Seven's caput of web athletics Lewis Martin.

The semi-final, which the Lionesses won 3-1, commanded the highest viewership ever recorded since the existent standing strategy was established successful 2001.

Some 975,000 viewers watched the lucifer connected 7plus, which the web said was grounds viewership for a streaming lawsuit successful Australia.

It added the last fig volition apt beryllium higher arsenic the assemblage data, which is measured by probe steadfast OzTAM, does not see radical watching from pubs, unrecorded sites and stadiums.

The information besides does not see those who watched connected pay-TV broadcaster Optus Sport.

Mr Martin said Australia was "captivated" and the Matildas had "captured the hearts and minds of the nation".

"Seven is beyond arrogant to person played a portion successful bringing Australia unneurotic astir our screens, arsenic the Matildas' show captured the Australian tone similar thing we person seen successful decades," helium said.

It was the 2nd clip successful little than a week that tv records were breached successful the country, which has a colonisation of 25 million.

On Sunday, Australia's triumph implicit France aft a thrilling punishment shootout had a highest assemblage of 7.2 cardinal connected Channel Seven.

The figures surpassed different large sporting events specified arsenic the Rugby World Cup last successful 2003.

More than 8 cardinal radical are reported to person tuned successful to ticker Cathy Freeman's 400m last astatine the Sydney Olympics successful 2000, which predates the existent ratings system.

Australian fans volition person 1 much accidental to enactment the Matildas successful the World Cup for their third-place play-off against Sweden successful Brisbane connected Saturday.

England look Spain successful the last successful Sydney connected Sunday.