For the second successive weekend the All-Ireland semi-finals drew in the biggest share of the live TV audience on RTÉ, The Sunday Game Live showing of Mayo's defeat of Tipperary in the second football decider seen by an average of 530,000 with a share of 50 per cent, peaking at 587,000.
Dublin’s handy semi-final win over Cavan on The Saturday Game Live was watched by an average of 505,000 viewers and a share of 38 per cent of those watching TV at the time. Numbers peaked at the end of that game with 565,000 tuning-in at 5.56pm.
Further proof perhaps that the championship is providing some extra comfort in its viewing during the pandemic winter, and for the second weekend in succession, the latest figures released by RTÉ also reveal a bigger GAA audience than that which watched Ireland's final Autumn Nations Cup game on Saturday against Scotland, which drew an average audience of 312,300 and a share of 42 per cent peaking at 420,000.
Sunday evening's FAI Cup final was watched by an average of 121,000 with a share of 10 per cent. The audience here peaked at 206,000 in extra-time as Dundalk sealed victory.
Last weekend, over half a million people watched both the All-Ireland hurling semi-finals, the Limerick and Galway game on the Sunday reaching a peak of 648,000 towards the end of the game, one of the highest sporting viewing peaks so far this year.
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.
This coming Saturday, RTÉ will celebrate women’s sport with both the FAI Cup final and the All-Ireland camogie final live across RTÉ on Super Saturday supported by a slate of programming and content highlighting women’s sport in Ireland. Full details to follow.
The All-Ireland hurling final meeting of Limerick and Waterford will be on the Sunday Game Live preceded by the Joe McDonagh Cup Final between Kerry and Antrim. The programme begins at 12.30pm (RTÉ2 & RTÉ Player) with the Joe McDonagh Cup final at 1pm and the main event throwing in at 3.30pm.
