{"id":375538,"date":"2025-12-28T07:17:11","date_gmt":"2025-12-28T07:17:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/375538\/"},"modified":"2025-12-28T07:17:11","modified_gmt":"2025-12-28T07:17:11","slug":"boxing-day-ashes-clash-delivers-biggest-test-audience-on-seven-and-7plus-sport","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/375538\/","title":{"rendered":"Boxing Day Ashes clash delivers biggest Test audience on Seven and 7plus Sport"},"content":{"rendered":"

The highly anticipated fourth instalment of the Ashes Test<\/a> series between Australia and England delivered a winning innings, recording the highest ever total TV and streaming audience for a Test on Seven and 7plus Sport<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Boxing Day Test at the MCG<\/a> bowled up an average national total TV audience of 1.52 million, up 16 per cent on last year\u2019s Boxing Day Test.<\/p>\n

On 7plus Sport, a record 245,000 tuned in on average to each session, which was up 93 per cent year-on-year. The Test reached 6.3 million across the two days.<\/p>\n

Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today Arrow<\/a><\/p>\n

Standout sessions included:<\/p>\n

– Day 1, Session 3 (Friday): Highest rated session ever on Seven and 7plus Sport. No.1 program in all people, 25 to 54s, 16 to 39s and grocery shoppers. National reach 3.2 million, national audience 1.84 million \u2013 up 18 per cent year-on-year. 302,000 tuned in on 7plus Sport, which was a record cricket streaming audience and up 114 per cent on last year.<\/p>\n

– Day 2, Session 3 (Saturday): No.1 program in all people, 25 to 54s, 16 to 39s and grocery shoppers. National reach 3.12 million, national audience 1.6 million \u2013 up 18 per cent year-on-year. 251,000 tuned in on 7plus Sport \u2013 up 9 per cent.<\/p>\n

– Day 2, Session 2 (Saturday): National reach 2.64 million, national audience 1.51 million \u2013 up 18 per cent year-on-year. 247,000 tuned in on 7plus Sport \u2013 up 96 per cent.<\/p>\n

– Day 1, Session 2 (Friday): National reach 2.63 million, national audience 1.59 million \u2013 up 2 per cent year-on-year. 238,000 tuned in on 7plus Sport \u2013 up 71 per cent.<\/p>\n

Seven\u2019s coverage of the Ashes this summer is its highest rated Test series ever, reaching 12.6 million Australians so far. The four Tests have had an average total TV audience of 1.21 million nationally, up 22 per cent year-on-year, while streaming on 7plus Sport is up 129 per cent.<\/p>\n

Seven Network Head of Cricket, Joel Starcevic, said: \u201cAn action-packed two days at the MCG delivered massive audiences on Seven and 7plus, as England claimed their first Test victory on Australian soil since the 2010-11 Ashes.<\/p>\n

\u201cDespite Australia already retaining the Ashes and the Test wrapping up far quicker than we would have liked, the record-breaking attendance figures and ratings once again proved cricket remains Australia\u2019s number one summer sport.<\/p>\n

\u201cEngland\u2019s breakthrough win made for unmissable viewing, with a buoyant Stuart Broad adding to the energy and insight across the two days as the contest unfolded at a relentless pace.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter a whirlwind Test, attention now turns to Sydney for the final chapter of an epic Ashes series, as we celebrate the vital work of the McGrath Foundation throughout the Test and on Jane McGrath Day, from Sunday January 4 live and free on Seven and 7plus Sport,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The Boxing Day Test starred cricket\u2019s No.1 commentary team, which included world-leading expert, Ricky Ponting, unmatched insights from Stuart Broad, the expertise of Justin Langer, Damien Fleming, Greg Blewett, Trent Copeland and Simon Katich, and the brilliant Alison Mitchell, Tim Lane, Mel McLaughlin and James Brayshaw.<\/p>\n

The cricket action continues tonight with the Sydney Thunder v Melbourne Stars BBL clash at Manuka Oval at 7pm AEDT live and free on Seven, 7mate and 7plus Sport.<\/p>\n

The Ashes continues on January 4, with the Fifth Test, headlined by Jane McGrath Day at the Sydney Cricket Ground live and free on Seven, 7mate and 7plus Sport. Coverage starts at 9.30am AEDT on all five days.<\/p>\n

The Ashes ratings: <\/p>\n

– First Test: reached 6.2 million Australians and had an average total TV audience of 1.15 million, up 57% on last year. An average of 186,000 people streamed each session on 7plus Sport, up 232% on last year.<\/p>\n

– Second Test: reached 8.06 million Australians, with an average total TV audience of 1.21 million, up 6% on the First Test and 36% on last year. An average of 195,000 people streamed each session on 7plus Sport, up 180% year-on-year.<\/p>\n

– Third Test: reached 7.64 million Australians and had an average total TV audience of 1.08 million, up 35 % on last year. An average of 182,000 people streamed each session on 7plus Sport, up 201% on last year.<\/p>\n

– Fourth Test: reached 6.3 million Australians and had an average total TV audience of 1.52 million, up 16% on last year. An average of 245,000 people streamed each session on 7plus Sport, up 93% on last year.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Curator responds to media grilling over disastrous MCG pitch<\/p>\n

3 min read<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

Cricket Australia consider intervention as millions go up in smoke<\/p>\n

3 min read<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The highly anticipated fourth instalment of the Ashes Test series between Australia and England delivered a winning innings,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":375539,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[571],"tags":[64,63,56117,802,740,1625,3863,588,85,33383],"class_list":["post-375538","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-boxing","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-australian-cricket-team","tag-boxing","tag-cricket","tag-lifestyle","tag-sponsored-content","tag-sport","tag-sports","tag-the-ashes"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/375538","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=375538"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/375538\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/375539"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=375538"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=375538"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=375538"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}