The NRMA Insurance Northern Australia Test Series has proven popular with fans as large crowds and viewing audiences watched Australia and Bangladesh split the two Test series.
Public tickets to both days of the first ever Mackay Test at Great Barrier Reef Arena were sold out with crowds of 6142 and 5943 on Day 1 and Day 2 respectively watching Australia respond strongly to win the Test by an innings and 51 runs.
In Darwin, the total attendance of 18,352 to watch Bangladesh record their historic first Test victory in Australia was the greatest for a Test in Darwin exceeding the 13,862 that watched Australia defeat Bangladesh in 2003.
Viewers enjoyed the choice of cricket on Kayo Sports and Foxtel and Seven and 7plus in a time usually dominated by football, reaching millions of viewers across the country.
Highlights included all four days of the Darwin Test delivering an interim average audience of over 500,000 while the second session on Day 1 of the Mackay Test was the leading session across the series, with an interim average audience of 664,000.
Todd Greenberg, Cricket Australia CEO said:
“We’re absolutely delighted by the attendances, viewing audiences and the huge interest created in cricket during an exciting new timeslot for Test cricket.
“Bangladesh’s historic performance in Darwin and Australia’s strong comeback in Mackay both captured the imagination of those who attended the fantastic northern venues and watching at home.
“We are grateful to the amazing fans in Darwin and Mackay who created a brilliant atmosphere and our broadcast partners Kayo and Foxtel and Seven and 7plus who brought fantastic images of the Tests and northern Australia into homes across the country.
“As an indication of the interest, the final sessions on Day 3 in Darwin and Day 2 in Mackay were in the top five most popular free-to-air programs of the day, both reaching well over one million viewers.
“The way this series was embraced makes us even more confident that the timeslot will be a winner for fans and the game in years to come as we look to find the best possible timeslots for international cricket in an increasingly complex schedule.”
