The first Peter Jackson VFL game on Channel 7 for season 2015 attracted 52,000 viewers, tuning in to watch Box Hill Hawks turn the tables on Footscray in the GF rematch.
The audience peaked in Melbourne at 88,000 as the match went down to the wire in the final quarter.
Last year the TV broadcasts averaged mid 30,000 viewers per week, with the Round 1 clash between Williamstown and Box Hill rating 22,000.
Word quickly spread across social media Saturday that Channel 7 was now the home of VFL football, with the audience increasing across the afternoon.
Next week Channel 7 will broadcast the first of two Sunday games for the year, with the ANZAC Day weekend clash between Essendon and Collingwood featuring Sunday (April 26) at 11:30am, with both teams looking for their first win of season 2015 after Round 1 defeats.
The coverage in Round 3 (May 2) will return to the Saturday midday timeslot with the standalone battle between Coburg and Frankston before the new team of Jason Bennett, Nigel Carmody, and Campbell Brown head to Casey Fields for Casey Scorpions versus Sandringham in Round 4 (May 9).
The following month of matches from Round 5 onwards will be announced later this week.
Photo: Jenny Owens
Last Modified on 19/04/2015 23:24