Over half a million people watched Sunday's All-Ireland hurling semi-final between Limerick and Galway on RTÉ2, the 648,000 tuning in towards the end of the game one of the highest sporting viewing peaks so far this year.
Proof perhaps that the championship is providing some extra comfort in its viewing during the pandemic winter, the latest figures released by RTÉ show a similarly high TV audience for Saturday's first hurling semi-final between Waterford and Kilkenny.
During the Sunday Game Live, where Limerick sealed their All-Ireland final place with a narrow win over Galway, the average audience was 534,000 viewers, and a share of 47 per cent of those watching TV at the time. Throw-in was 4pm.
Numbers peaked at the end of the game, with 648,000 tuning-in at 5.43pm, just as the game was spilling towards added time.
Waterford’s dramatic semi-final win over Kilkenny on the Saturday Game Live was watched by an average of 414,000 and a share of 32 per cent, peaking at 541,000 as that game reached a climax; that game threw-in at 6.0pm.
These numbers also compare impressively against the rugby viewing figures on Sunday on RTÉ One, Ireland’s latest Autumn Nations Cup game against Georgia, which had a 2pm kick-off at the Aviva Stadium, drew an average audience of average of 276,000, and 30 per cent share, with a peak viewing of 331,000. Ireland won 23-10.
The Limerick-Galway peak viewing also surpassed Ireland’s Autumn Nations Cup defeat to England on the previous Saturday; there, an average of 500,000 people tuned-in, peaking at 564,000, with a share of 50 per cent of those watching TV at the time.
The live sporting action on RTÉ continues this week beginning on Tuesday with the Republic of Ireland women's team's crucial Euro 2022 qualifier against Germany in Tallaght Stadium (RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player, 4.30pm) followed at 7.30pm by Liverpool's Champions League clash with Ajax from Anfield.
Ireland’s final Autumn Nations Cup game against Scotland is live from the Aviva Stadium this Saturday on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player starting from 1.30pm.
Then the All Ireland football semi-finals take centre stage with Ulster champions Cavan up against Dublin in Croke Park on Saturday (4.45pm, RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player) while on Sunday (2.45pm, RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player) it's the turn of Tipperary and Mayo to face-off in Croke Park for a place in the final on December 19th.
Sunday Night Soccer rounds out the weekend's live sport across RTÉ with the Extra.ie FAI Cup final from the Aviva Stadium as holders Shamrock Rovers take on Dundalk. (6.15pm, RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player).
