Australia and New Zealand broke sporting attendance records Thursday, after more fans packed into the opening two matches of the Women’s World Cup than any other female sporting event in those countries.
(Bloomberg) — Australia and New Zealand broke sporting attendance records Thursday, after more fans packed into the opening two matches of the Women’s World Cup than any other female sporting event in those countries.
More than 100,000 people attended the two stadiums in Sydney and Auckland, setting new all-time highs for women’s matches in both countries, despite a fatal shooting in downtown Auckland earlier that prevented organizers opening a fan zone area. New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins, his deputy, Carmel Sepuloni and the nation’s sports minister, Grant Robertson, were among the crowd watching as their country beat Norway.
Meantime, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and the head of the nation’s largest bank, Commonwealth Bank of Australia Chief Executive Officer Matt Comyn, watched the other host nation get the better of Ireland from the sold-out stadium in Sydney.
This World Cup will “become a watershed moment in global women’s sports – not only from an attendance perspective, but way beyond that, when it comes to developing the game globally and celebrating female empowerment,” said Sarah Bareman, chief women’s football officer at FIFA.
The most anticipated female sporting event ever plays out over 64 matches until the final in Sydney on Aug. 20, with the US vying for its third straight championship. While the sport’s soaring popularity has helped it make big strides in player pay, snags over TV deals have plagued the run-up to this year’s competition.
Over 42,000 people were at Eden Park, the biggest crowd to ever watch a football match in New Zealand. Fans faced heightened security after a gunman Thursday morning killed two people and exchanged fire with police before being found dead on a building site in downtown Auckland, close to hotels where a number of World Cup teams are staying.
Read More: Women’s World Cup Kicks Off Under Shadow of Deadly NZ Shooting
In Sydney, 75,784 watched Australia defeat the Republic of Ireland. Last year’s men’s tournament in Qatar saw around 67,000 attend the opening night.
Phillipa Harrison, managing director at Tourism Australia, expects the event itself to contribute about A$169 million ($115 million) to the Australian economy. Overseas TV viewers, however, may provide a more lucrative income longer term.
“The real opportunity here is that over a billion people are watching the event and might potentially come and visit Australia,” she said. “It gives Australia a moment in the spotlight.”
Next up on Friday, Nigeria takes on Canada in Melbourne, the Philippines plays Switzerland in Dunedin, while Spain and Costa Rica will contest the evening match in Wellington.
Read More: World Cup Turns Up the Pressure for TV to Embrace Women’s Soccer
–With assistance from Paul Allen and Ainsley Thomson.
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