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Rugby’s Greatest Championship racks up the big numbers in 2017

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After an enthralling RBS 6 Nations Championship of twists, turns, and no small amount of drama on the last day, figures show the RBS 6 Nations is going from strength to strength, year on year, with no sign of slowing down.

After an enthralling RBS 6 Nations Championship of twists, turns, and no small amount of drama on the last day, figures show the RBS 6 Nations is going from strength to strength, year on year, with no sign of slowing down.

The 2017 event saw increased TV audiences, packed stadia and record levels of engagement and consumption across digital and new media channels.

Live Television Audiences across the core Six Nations territories of England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales were up by over one million in 2017, to just over 126 million, while the overseas TV coverage reached 200 million households across 189 territories.

The 15 Championship matches drew one million fans to the 15 games which cements the Championship’s status as the best attended stadium-based tournament in world sport on the basis of average attendance per match, and still the most sought after ticket when it comes to international rugby.

The RBS 6 Nations digital footprint continues to grow, reaching new, younger audiences and driving fan engagement.

The Championship’s official Facebook page broke through the 1m Followers mark after Round 4 of the Championship and continues to grow.

The official web site, www.rbs6nations.com, saw exponential growth this year, with a record 52 million page views during the Championship window – up from 30m during the same period in 2016.

Meanwhile, the Championship’s video platforms, delivered in excess of 15m video views.

Summarising the strong performance in 2017, John Feehan, Chief Executive, said: “Our increased audiences across the board this year are extremely encouraging and show the enduring strength and power of the RBS 6 Nations Championship.

“Thanks to the most enthusiastic and most faithful fans in rugby, our event continues to grow annually and the numbers are testament to the interest and excitement that are generated year after year by Rugby’s Greatest Championship.”