The World Athletics Championships in Tokyo have shattered television viewing records in Australia, with the debut of teenager Gout Gout attracting more than three million viewers across two free-to-air channels. Channel Nine's broadcast peaked at 2.2 million viewers, making it the evening's highest-rating programme ahead of The Block.
Australian Athletics president Jane Flemming said the figures exceeded those for the Friday night AFL and NRL finals. "Last night we had amazing viewer figures, more [on SBS and Nine combined] than the Friday night AFL finals and more than the Friday night NRL finals," she said. "Not that I'm competitive, but take that."
The SBS coverage, featuring Bruce McAvaney, peaked at just over one million viewers for Gout's successful 200m heat and averaged 280,000. Australian Athletics chief executive Simon Hollingsworth said the result confirmed that athletics is "a sport for everyone."
Channel Nine's executive director Hamish Turner said the network had pursued co-exclusive rights after securing long-term Olympics rights, and that the surge in growth would continue. The unprecedented dual coverage allowed fans to choose between local presentations, while injured athletes Nina Kennedy and Lachie Kennedy contributed to the broadcasts.
Ken Shipp, SBS director of sport, said the network was the "home for die-hard fans" and praised the commentary team. Hollingsworth also flagged a "golden era" for Australian athletics, with the LA 2028 and Brisbane 2032 Games on the horizon.
