Record numbers tune in to Cup final on TV

Australia's dominant T20 World Cup triumph over India has seen broadcast records tumble with an average TV audience of 1.231 million Australians tuning in for the clash on Sunday night.

The figures reported by Mediaweek Australia include 405,646 people tuning in to the coverage on Foxtel - making it the most-watched program for the year on the subscription service and also the most-watched women's sports event in its history.

Foxtel aired the showpiece event on its Fox Cricket channel, as well as a FoxW pop-up channel in celebration of International Women's Day.

“The Australian women’s cricket team has captured the imagination of the country including our Foxtel viewers with their magnificent victory on home soil before a record crowd at the MCG,” Head of Fox Sports, Peter Campbell, said.

More than 825,000 people also watched via the Nine Network, although prominent businesswoman and women's sporting advocate Susan Alberti criticised the broadcaster for showing the World Cup decider on their secondary channel 9Gem - and instead opting for their reality ratings juggernaut 'Married at First Sight' on their primary channel.

“This is a World Cup, a world championship and our Australian women’s team is in the final,” Alberti told The Australian.

“I don’t see why that other show couldn’t be postponed and people can watch it later. This is much more important.

“For Channel 9 to snub them like this, it’s not good for women. It’s just crazy.”

Viewing figures are currently unavailable for the Kayo Sports and 9Now streaming services.

The TV figures follow what was also a record-breaking night when in it came to attendance at the match.

Organisers had hoped to fill the venue on Sunday and top the record crowd for a women's sporting event set when 90,185 people watched the 1999 women's soccer World Cup final in California.

But the final figure was 86,174 on a landmark night.

It was still the largest crowd for a women's sporting event in Australia and the highest crowd figure for a women's cricket match globally.

The turnout on International Women's Day was lauded as a seismic shift for women's cricket and sport in general.

"It's a game changer," retired Australian great Alex Blackwell said on ABC Grandstand.

"I think it sets the standard or the bar as high as possible for the next sporting event - men or women."

2020 ICC Women's T20 World Cup

February 21:India beat Australia by 17 runs

February 24: Australia beat Sri Lanka by five wickets

February 27: Australia beat Bangladesh by 86 runs 

March 2: Australia beat New Zealand by four runs

March 5: Australia beat South Africa by five runs

March 8: Australia beat India by 85 runs

For a full list of all World Cup fixtures, click HERE