What if Matildas ratings counted Aussies in venues too?

Some readers have asked what might Matildas TV ratings have been if audiences at pubs and live venues were also included in figures.

That’s a question put to the test by Deakin University which surveyed 1,564 Australians via direct mailout and online.

It estimated a further 3.01m Australians watched the FIFA Women’s World Cup semi final at a venue, 1.74m streamed via Optus Sport and 1.25m attended various national live sites.

It has added those figures to Seven’s Reach audience of 11.15m people to arrive at a Total Reach of 17.15m people, approximately 64% of the population.

“We talk about sport as this cultural touchpoint that brings people together, but our current television measurement system only measures viewing in our homes. Major sport events, however, bring people together in pubs, clubs and venues, whilst mega events bring people together on the streets,” said Dr Hunter Fujak, Lecturer in Sports Management at Deakin University.

“These figures further reinforce how successful the tournament and the Matildas have been in bringing people together the nation. It provides hard evidence that helps change the narrative around the significance of women’s sport.

“The other important facet to this is the economic impact the Matildas had upon hospitality venues nationally. People flocked to public venues to cheer on the Matildas and the broader World Cup with friends, family and colleagues. This would have been a huge income earner for those businesses, many of whom and are still recovering from Covid disruption and would typically have expected much slower mid-week trade in winter.”

Officially, OzTAM cites 7.201m Total TV, an average not a Reach, which is the biggest number since OzTAM ratings in 2001. This includes those who live streamed 7plus on devices. Optus Sport does not reveal their viewing numbers.

The data was stratified between metropolitan and regional residents, to account for differing geographical access to venues and live sites. The definition of metropolitan and regional applied was based on OzTAM, to align survey results to the known Channel 7 audience. It is not claimed with certainty that the sample is nationally representative.