Pass the scones, darling - half of NZ watched the royals
Viewing numbers show half the country prefers royals to basketball.
Republic-supporters might sneer at the pomp and circumstance, but New Zealand’s royal viewing numbers reveal at least half of us are still keen on the British monarchs.
Nearly 2.2 million New Zealanders tuned in to watch the royal wedding, according to Nielsen data released today. Current Statistics New Zealand population estimates put the population at just above 4.4 million.
Far fewer chose basketball over nuptials, with 174,000 tuning in to the Breakers final against the Cairns Taipans, according to a TVNZ spokesperson.
YouTube have not yet released how many watched their live stream, but Google estimates viewer numbers at about 400 million. More than 17 million hits on The Royal Channel have been recorded by a YouTube counter on the channel.
A video of William and Kate leaving Buckingham Palace in an Aston Martin is currently the most watched video on YouTube, with 1.3 million views after two days.
The BBC has reported more than 34 million UK viewers watched “at least part” of the BBC wedding coverage on television or online via the BBC iPlayer. In comparison, 28.4 million UK viewers watched Charles and Diana’s wedding in 1981.
And 1980s New Zealanders were just as royal-keen as now, with 1.6 million viewers - about half the country's 1981 population.
THE COMPETITION – HIGH RATING EVENTS
World Cup 2010 finale – 700 million viewers (international)
Super Bowl 2011 – 111 million viewers (US)
President Obama’s inauguration - 70 million (online)
Princess Diana's funeral in 1997 – 32.1 million (UK)
Charles and Diana’s wedding in 1981 – 28.4 million (UK)
Crusaders vs Waratahs Super 14 final (2008) 444,000 (NZ)
Charlotte Woodfield
Mon, 02 May 2011
Mon, 02 May 2011
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Pass the scones, darling - half of NZ watched the royals
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