The Hundred: Increase in viewing figures for the men’s and women’s opening fixtures following Ashes series | Cricket News

After one of the most thrilling Ashes series which saw the highest-ever audiences on Sky Sports, The Hundred continued that trend with record-breaking figures for the men’s and women’s matches.

Tuesday’s opener between Trent Rockets and Southern Brave saw an 82 per cent increase for the men’s game and a six per cent increase for the women’s game which was broadcast in the evening, rather than the afternoon.

“It’s brilliant that fans are continuing to enjoy cricket this summer, and to see these viewing figures break records from the very start of the competition,” said Bryan Henderson, Sky Sports Director of Cricket.

In addition, the ECB reported that following the exhilarating end to the Ashes, 9,000 tickets were sold on the day, with over 500,000 tickets sold across the competition.

The Ashes saw the highest-ever audiences across both series, with significant growth in the women’s series. Their test fixture viewing figures were up almost 400 per cent, including a peak of 795k during their five wicket win at Lords.

The men’s Test series saw 22 peaks above 1m across 23 days of play, and two peaks above two million during the first and third tests.

While the defending men’s team (Trent Rockets) got off to a winning start, the defending women’s team (Oval Invincibles) fell victim to the British weather and was rained off.

Henderson added: “We set out to provide the best possible entertainment with The Hundred via our innovation, technology, and our fantastic commentary teams, and are thrilled to see how this summer has, and continues, to captivate both new and existing fans across platforms.”

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