Australia’s biggest tennis competition, the Australian Open, kick started yesterday with more than 2.5 million viewers tuning in to watch the first day session.
Kicking off the highly anticipated tournament was the two world number ones Aryna Sabalenka and Carlos Alcaraz. The pair showed off just why they are both the best in their respective matches, cruising through the first round. A total TV national average audience of 444,000 turned on Nine to watch Sabalenka destroy France’s Tiantsoa Rakotomanga Rajaonah in straight sets. Unfortunately for Aussie Adam Walton, he too was dispatched in straight sets by Alcaraz.
Off the court, fans were furiously locked out as a result of a mammoth day one crowd. Records were already smashed in the previous week, where only qualifying matches were played. This led to the Australian Open organisers expecting a massive turnout for day one of the main draw.
However, even though the expectations were met with ground passes for day one being sold out, people still struggled to get into the venue two hours after the first match had begun.
Seven continued to have a golden summer pulling in a reach of 2,254,000 for its broadcast of the final BBL game of the regular season. The Aussie test stars was on show as the Brisbane Heat hosted the Sydney Sixers for a ticket into the finals.
But, it was Steve Smith who took centre stage for an average audience of 785,000 people knocking an all important 54 off 40 balls to help the Sixers chase down the Heat’s total of 171.
Over on 10, Season 12 of I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! began with a bang raking its biggest total audience since 2022 and its biggest ever streaming audience. The episode featuring Julia Morris and Robert Irwin introducing the new celebs managed a reach of 1.7 million and an average audience of 660 thousand.
