Rugby World Cup 2019: Japan vs Scotland sets new high for viewing figures as more tournament records are broken

Viewing figures peaked at 53.7m, setting a new record for 2019

The Brave Blossoms’ pulsating 28-21 win over Scotland in Yokohama has been confirmed as the most-watched live event in Japan this year, as World Rugby announced the tournament has set a number of records following the conclusion of the group stages.

An average of 39.2 million people tuned in to NHK, Japan’s national broadcaster, to watch Jamie Joseph’s men secure a first-ever quarter-final berth.

Viewing figures peaked at 53.7m, setting a new record for 2019.

This surpasses the previous figure set by the 38-19 win over Samoa, which claimed a peak TV audience share of 46.1 per cent.

Before that, Naomi Osaka’s Australian Open final victory over Petra Kvitova was the most-watched live event of the year.

To date, an unprecedented 864,000 fans have also filled the tournament’s Fanzones, reflecting the manner in which the Rugby World Cup has captured the imagination of the Japanese public.

The tournament has also seen a record level of social media engagement. A total of 1.8m downloads of the official World Cup app have been made, while 600m video views have so far been amassed online.

And once again, the overall winning margin between the Tier One and Tier Two nations has been reduced, to a new low of 30 points.

Meanwhile, more than 1.8m tickets for the Rugby World Cup have been sold across all 48 matches through official channels, with an average of 99 per cent of tickets sold across all venues.

World Rugby chairman Sir Bill Beaumont said: “From full and vibrant stadia and Fanzones, to record social media, the fans, teams and the people of Japan have shared truly unforgettable moments of friendship, celebration and hospitality.

“The host cities have been fantastic. They have played their part in full. Never has a nation been so unified behind a tournament and never have we seen so many people greeting the teams at training sessions, hotels and public events. It has has been remarkable. I would like to pay particular tribute to Kamaishi, whose unbreakable spirit has captured hearts around the world.

“The teams have certainly played their part, delivering spectacular action. We now look forward to four excellent quarter-finals and continued superb support form the Japanese public as the host nation plays a historic first-ever knockout match.”