More than seven million Australians (43% of Australians aged 14 and over — 49% of men and 36% of women) watched on television the Socceroos’ historic World Cup 3-1 victory over Japan on Monday night, according to a special Roy Morgan telephone survey.
While the number was down on the eight-and-a-half million Australians who watched the primetime World Cup Qualifier against Uruguay, the number of viewers is a late-night record considering the 11pm East Coast starting time. Viewing was highest in Western Australia with 56% watching the game which began at 9pm local time.
Of the 7.115 million Australians who watched the game, 4.274 million watched the whole match, 1.343 million said they watched only the second half, while an unlucky 1.299 million watched only the first half (200,000 couldn’t say). The clear majority of viewers (6.436 million) watched the match at home, 348,000 at a friends’ house, 288,000 at a public venue (hotel, public place) and 44,000 somewhere else.
Respondents surveyed last night and Wednesday night (June 14/15, 2006) were asked: “Did you watch the Australia versus Japan match on Monday night?”
|
|
Total All
People 14+
|
Analysis by Sex and Age
|
|
|
June 14-15, 2006
|
Men
|
Women
|
14-17#
|
18-24
|
25-34
|
35-49
|
50+
|
|
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
|
Yes
|
43
|
49
|
36
|
48
|
58
|
48
|
38
|
38
|
|
No
|
57
|
51
|
64
|
52
|
42
|
52
|
62
|
62
|
|
Total
|
100
|
100
|
100
|
100
|
100
|
100
|
100
|
100
|
# Sample sizes less than 50 should be treated with caution
|
|
Total All
People 14+
|
Analysis by Region and State
|
|
|
June 14-15, 2006
|
CapitalCities
|
CountryAreas
|
NSW
|
Vic
|
Qld
|
SA/NT
|
WA
|
Tas#
|
|
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
|
Yes
|
43
|
46
|
37
|
42
|
42
|
35
|
48
|
56
|
42
|
|
No
|
57
|
54
|
63
|
58
|
58
|
65
|
52
|
44
|
58
|
|
Total
|
100
|
100
|
100
|
100
|
100
|
100
|
100
|
100
|
100
|
# Sample sizes less than 50 should be treated with caution
Gary Morgan says:
“Soccer fever is well and truly alive in the wake of Australia’s first appearance at the World Cup in 32 years — more than seven million Australians watched the opening game against Japan, an extraordinarily high figure given the 11pm starting time.
“With Australia’s upcoming match against Brazil due to start at 2am Monday morning, it will be interesting to see if viewer numbers increase again — pity the employers of Australia. Bad luck!
“The Socceroos’ early success has increased Australians’ knowledge of (96%, up 5% in a week) and level of interest (70% either “very interested” or “somewhat interested”, up 10% in a week) in the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany.”
Australians’ knowledge of the FIFA World Cup has increased noticeably in the past week with 96% (up 5% in a week) of Australians now aware of the Soccer World Cup currently taking place in Germany.
And now 70% (up 10% in a week) of Australians say they are either “very interested” or “somewhat interested” in the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
Base: Australians 14 and over
Audience Comparison
In the last eight months Roy Morgan Research has measured viewing audiences of all the major Australian sporting events:
The Melbourne Cup remains Australia’s most watched sporting event (10.5 million) in the last eight months with more than double the audience figure of the 2006 Fosters Australian Grand Prix (4.9 million) and almost five times as many as the Monday Night AFL Match between Collingwood and Adelaide (2.2 million).
| |
SoccerWorld Cup
|
Soccer World Cup Qualifier
|
F1
GP
|
Monday Night AFL
|
C’wealth Games
|
Melb. Cup
|
Aus.
Vs
WI
|
VB One Day Cricket
|
Australian Open Tennis
|
| |
AustraliaVs. Japan
|
Game 1
|
Game 2
|
|
Collingwood vs. Adelaide**
|
Opening
Ceremony
|
|
1st Test
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
Women’sFinal
|
Men’sFinal
|
| |
%
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
|
Yes
|
43
|
24
|
51
|
30
|
14
|
54
|
63
|
42
|
36
|
44
|
27
|
30
|
60
|
|
No
|
57
|
76
|
49
|
70
|
86
|
46
|
37
|
58
|
64
|
56
|
73
|
70
|
40
|
|
Total
|
100
|
100
|
100
|
100
|
100
|
100
|
100
|
100
|
100
|
100
|
100
|
100
|
100
|
Australian Sports Audience Estimates in last Eight Months (rounded)
| |
All Australians 14+
|
| |
(million)
|
|
2005 Melbourne Cup
|
10.5
|
|
2006 Australian Open Men’s Final
|
10
|
|
Commonwealth Games 2006 —
Opening Ceremony
|
9
|
|
Soccer World Cup Qualifier —
2nd Game (Nov. 2005)
|
8.5
|
|
Commonwealth Games 2006 —
Closing Ceremony
|
8.5
|
|
Cricket One Day International —
Australia vs. South Africa (Jan. 2006)
|
7.3
|
|
2006 Soccer World Cup —
Australia vs. Japan (Jun. 2006)
|
7.1
|
|
Cricket: Test —
Australia vs. West Indies (Dec. 2005)
|
7
|
|
2006 Australian Open Women’s Final
|
5
|
|
2006 Fosters Australian Grand Prix
|
4.9
|
|
AFL Monday Night —
Collingwood vs. Adelaide
|
2.2*
|
*Not shown in Queensland
This special Australia-wide Roy Morgan telephone survey was conducted last night and Wednesday night (June 14/15, 2006) with a cross-section of 678 men and women aged 14 and over.
For further information:
Gary Morgan: Office + 61 3 9224 5213 Mobile + 61 411 129 094 Home + 61 3 9419 3242
Michele Levine: Office + 61 3 9224 5215 Mobile +61 411 129 093 Home + 61 3 9817 3066