It has without doubt been a summer where hurling has stood tall and the sense of it’s holding sway over football at present is backed up by TV viewing figures which RTÉ has produced exclusively for Sport for Business.
The aggregate audience for the two Hurling Semi-Finals hits 997,000 while the equivalent two games in the Football Championship came in 100,000 less at 896,000.
Ten of the games so far this summer that have attracted an audience of over 300,000 have been with the small ball, with five in Football doing likewise.
The revised format of the provincial championships in hurling can also be seen to be a winner with three matches each from Munster and Leinster making the Top 15 while the only one to do so at that stage in Football was the Connacht Football Final between Galway and Mayo.
Dublin Footballers pursuit of Four All Ireland’s in a row produced two games in this top echelon while Galway’s search for back to back titles has so far been seen by just shy of 2 million across five games that have breached an average viewership of 300,000.
Traditionally the All Ireland Football final has produced around a 20 percent higher viewership and it may yet do so again this year but hurling can stand tall off the back not only of a stunning three-part documentary programme but also in capturing the hearts and the eyeballs of the viewing public
The Top 15 GAA Championship TV Viewing Figures to August 12th 2018
Limerick Vs Cork       543,000   All Ireland Semi Final (Hurling)
Galway Vs Clare       454,000   All Ireland Semi Final (Hurling)
Dublin Vs Galway      449,000   All Ireland Semi Final (Football)
Tyrone Vs Monaghan   447,000   All Ireland Semi Final (Football)
Galway Vs Clare       417,000   All Ireland Semi Final Replay (Hurling)
Galway Vs Kilkenny    411,000   Leinster Hurling Championship
Monaghan Vs Kerry    397,000   All Ireland Quarter Final Series (Football)
Kilkenny Vs Limerick    384,000   All Ireland Quarter Final (Hurling)
Dublin Vs Donegal      377,000   All Ireland Quarter Final Series (Football)
Kilkenny Vs Galway     363,000   Leinster Hurling Final Replay
Cork Vs Clare          361,000   Munster Hurling Championship
Waterford Vs Tipperary  355,000   Munster Hurling Championship
Mayo Vs Galway        351,000   Connacht Football Final
Kilkenny Vs Galway      347,000   Leinster Hurling Final
Clare Vs Limerick       324,000   Munster Hurling Championship
Source: RTÉ Audience Insights
Join us tomorrow when we chat with the All Ireland Hurling Championship sponsors about what this year has been like for them ahead of Sunday’s Final
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