The Seven Network, the tournament's free-to-air broadcaster, announced a peak audience of 7.2 million people tuned in for Australia's 7-6 win over the French in Brisbane last night, according to ratings agency OzTAM’s new measurement system.

Freeman's performance 23 years ago, when she won the 400 metres, reportedly attracted a record 8.8 million viewers, although OZTam data was not tracked in 2000.

An average of 4.17 million tuned in to the quarter-finals on the Seven Network, which said it enjoyed a record 472,000 viewers streaming the game on their digital arm 7Plus.

The figures do not include fans watching in public places, including pubs, or viewers who watched the match on Optus Sport.

The viewing figures eclipse other major sports events in Australia during the last 20 years, including Ashleigh Barty’s Australian Open win in 2022 viewed by 4.1 million, Australia’s Rugby World Cup defeat against England in 2003 and Lleyton Hewitt’s 2005 Australian Open final defeat, which was watched by 5.56 million.

It is also considerably higher than events like Australian Football League (AFL) and National Rugby League (NRL) grand finals.

In an unprecedented move, the AFL and NRL both agreed to air Optus Sport live streams in stadiums with reports of crowds concentrating on the women’s quarter-finals rather than the games they were attending.

The match at Lang Park in Brisbane finished 0-0 after 90 minutes and extra time, going on to break another record for the longest penalty shootout in both women’s and men’s World Cup history with 20 attempts.

Matildas goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold saved three French penalties before Cortnee Vine stepped up to score Australia’s 10th spot kick and send them into their first FIFA Women’s World Cup semi-finals, where they are set to meet England in Sydney next Wednesday (August 16).

"Australia partied yesterday as the Matildas did us proud," Seven’s managing director and network head of sport Lewis Martin, said today.

"The FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 has brought Australia together in a way we haven’t seen for years.

"We can’t wait for Wednesday.

"Go Matildas!"

It is already expected that the semi-finals against arch rivals England at Stadium Australia, the stage for Freeman's historic victory during Sydney 2000, will set a new record.

The huge broadcast figures were considerably higher than for Australia’s 2-0 win over Denmark in the round-of-16 on Monday (August 7) which had been watched by 2.294 million, until that point the biggest television audience for 2023.

Optus Sport, the official broadcaster of the tournament today revealed the FIFA Women’s World Cup had delivered the platform’s biggest-ever four-week period.

"Three of the FIFA Women's World Cup matches have jumped into the top five most-streamed games on Optus Sport, out of a total 6,000 live matches in our history," Clive Dickens, vice-president of television, content and product development at Optus, told the Sydney Morning Herald.

Social media was abuzz with messages of congratulations for the Matildas.

Australia's four-time Paralympic gold medallist Dylan Alcott, born with a tumour wrapped around his spinal cord, leaving him a a paraplegic, quipped on social media: "My god that was the closest I've ever been to standing up."

England's 2-1 victory over Colombia, meanwhile, attracted a peak television audience of 7.2 million viewers on free-to-air broadcaster ITV.