Cricket World Cup: Ratings yet to match RWC, Olympics

A combined total of 277,800 people in New Zealand tuned in to watch the opening match of the Cricket World Cup between New Zealand and Sri Lanka. Photo / Hannah Peters/Getty Images

The 2015 Cricket World Cup's ratings have yet to match the 2011 Rugby World Cup or the 2012 London Olympics.

On Friday, 154,000 people tuned in to Sky Sport 3 to watch New Zealand beat England by eight wickets in Wellington.

According to measurement company Nielsen, on Valentine's Day a combined total of 277,800 tuned into free channel Prime, or paid to watch the opening match between New Zealand and Sri Lanka, in Christchurch, on Sky Sport 3.

But Kiwis' love affair with rugby dominates the ratings, with more than one million people tuning in to TV One to watch the All Blacks play Tonga on September 9, 2011 - the opening match of the Rugby World Cup

The number of New Zealanders that watched the October 23, 2011 Rugby World Cup final between New Zealand and France was 687,200 on TV One alone.

In 2012, when Kiwis Hamish Bond, Eric Murray and Mahe Drysdale scooped first place in the men's rowing, 521,500 people tuned in to watch the two races on Prime.

On August 7 last year, 122,600 people watched the Commonwealth Games netball semifinal between the Silver Ferns and England before New Zealand's national team moved on to take the silver medal, losing the following day's final to Australia by 18 points.

Ratings battle

2015 Cricket World Cup

NZ v England: February 20, Sky Sport 3, 154,000

NZ v Sri Lanka: February 14, Prime and Sky Sport 3 combined, 277,800

2011 Rugby World Cup
NZ v Tonga: September 9, TV One, 1,015,200
NZ v France: October 23, TV One, 687,200

2012 London Olympics
Rowing: August 3, Prime, 521,500
Athletics: August 3, Prime, 451,600
Weightlifting: August 3, Prime, 439,300

2014 Commonwealth Games
Netball, NZ v England: August 2, Prime, 122,600
Rugby 7s, NZ v South Africa: July 28, Sky Sport 4, 87,100
Source: Nielsen