TV 2015: big rugby and soccer events more popular than GAA
January 11, 2016
RTE's Michael Lyster alongside Ciaran Whelan, Colm O'Rourke and Pat Spillane ©INPHO/Donall Farmer
Seven of the ten most watched programmes on Irish television in 2015 were sport, with only one of those GAA.
The All-Ireland football final was the fifth most watched programme last year 881,000 tuning in according to the TAM Ireland figures which were released today. The Late Late Toy Show was once again the most popular programme of 2015 with three of Ireland's Rugby World Cup games on TV3 coming in second, third and fourth position ahead of the football final.
Ireland's Euro 2016 soccer playoff against Bosnia was seventh with the game against Poland eighth.
The Ireland v Romania RWC game was tenth followed by the Ireland v England Six Nations game in eleventh position.
The All-Ireland hurling final was in thirteenth position with 742,000 average viewers.
The draw of international sport also meant that the Austrailia v England Rugby World Cup game had more viewers on Irish television that either the drawn or replayed All-Ireland SFC semi-final between Dublin and Mayo.
In 2013 the average viewership for the All-Ireland SFC final was 1,064,000 with the 2015 figure down 182,000 on that, but it is 49,000 more than 2014. The All-Ireland SHC final is down 147,000 on two years ago.
