NOT ONLY WAS the attendance record shattered at the Ladies All-Ireland finals in Croke Park yesterday, TV viewership also broke new ground.
TG4 broke a record of its own — an average of 303,800 people tuned into the live broadcast of the senior final, the highest-ever viewing figure for a Ladies’ final on the station since it first started to broadcast the games back in 2001.
The main event of the All-Ireland final triple-header between Dublin and Mayo reached 563,000 viewers, as viewing peaked at 5.24pm with 409,700 people watching live.
Last year’s final between the Dubs and Cork drew an average of 234,7oo viewers so that makes for an increase of 69,100 to 303.800.
TG4 CEO Alan Esslemont said:
“Our unique partnership with LGFA, as competition sponsor and TV broadcast rights holder, and yesterday’s record viewing bear out the truth of the proverb ‘Ní neart go cur le chéile’ and the undoubted potential for further growth.”
46, 286 peope turned out to Croke Park to watch Dublin and Tipperary lift the senior and intermediate crowns respectively, while the junior decider between Fermanagh and Derry was forced to an equaliser.
The new figure marks a increase of almost 12,000 compared to the number of people at the 2016 decider, while it was the largest at any women’s’ sports event in Europe this year.
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