As a result of the huge viewership numbers for the Toy Show and the World Cup on RTÉ Player, last week saw the platform recording its highest ever weekly number of streams – 5.3 million, with 2.5 million hours of content viewed. The previous record was 2.34 million weekly streams, recorded in 2020.

• Spain’s draw with Germany on Sunday evening was the most-watched World Cup match of last week, with an average of 521,000 viewers and a share of 38% of those watching TV at the time. There were also 131,000 live streams on the RTÉ Player.
• An average of 495,000 viewers tuned in to watch the 0-0 draw between USA and England on Friday, with a 40% share of those watching TV at the time and 134,000 streams on the RTÉ Player.
• Saturday, Argentina’s 2-0 win over Mexico drew an average of 424,000 viewers, with a share of 37%.
• In addition, there were 118,000 live streams on the RTÉ Player. The most-watched game to date on RTÉ Player was Argentina v Saudi Arabia last Tuesday 22nd November, with 255,000 live streams.

The 28 games so far in the World Cup have generated 3.1m live streams on the RTÉ Player – an average of 112,000 live streams per game. 53% of World Cup live streams have been on smartphones.

Aoife Byrne, RTÉ Head of RTÉ Player, said: “It has been an extraordinary week for RTÉ Player with over double the streaming volumes of our previous weekly record.  In 2023, we’ll be looking to build on these successes to make RTÉ Player a must-visit streaming destination in its own right for Irish audiences. We will be expanding our distribution, continuously improving the user experience, adding new features and functionality and growing our catalogue of quality Irish and international boxsets.”  

Jim Jennings, RTÉ Director of Content, said: “RTÉ exists to serve audiences content that informs, engages, and entertains. It is great to see audiences engage in such large numbers with a diverse range of content, from the Toy Show’s uniquely Irish heart-warming moments to the thrilling sporting action of the World Cup. Our shared stories are what makes us unique and RTÉ is proud to share those stories and moments with the Irish public.”

Follow coverage of the FIFA World Cup Qatar across RTÉ TV, Radio and Digital platforms including our dedicated section on RTÉ.ie and on RTÉ Player, where you can watch the games live and on catch-up.