1.1m tune in for Bari drama

A MASSIVE 1.136 million viewers were recorded at 9.45pm, the final minute of Ireland-Italy on Wednesday night, the highest peak audience recorded so far in Ireland’s 2010 World Cup qualifier games.

The audience peaked at over 1.1 million viewers for the final three minutes of the match (9.43pm – 1,108,000 9.44pm – 1,109,000 9.45pm – 1,136,000).

The previous highest minute-peak audience recorded in Ireland’s 2010 World Cup games was during Ireland v Georgia on February 11 this year: a peak of 1,077,000 viewers recorded during that match at 9.40pm, the final minute before full time.

The highest peak-minute audience recorded during Ireland’s Grand Slam Six Nations win against Wales in Cardiff on 21 March was 1.198 million, recorded at 7.26pm, just seconds after the final whistle.

Wednesday’s game drew an average audience of 829,000 viewers who tuned in to RTÉ Two for the entire match (7.53pm to 9.45pm), an average share of 51% of the available television audience, according to AGB Nielsen Media Research.