Nearly 3.5 million Australians tuned in to watch Queensland's heart-wrenching comeback against NSW last night.
Nine's coverage of State of Origin II attracted 2.38 million metro viewers - 32,000 more than Origin I - and 1.1 million regional viewers. The match peaked at 4.01 million viewers, marginally below Origin I.
The last ditch try and conversion broke means the series is now level at 1-1 and will go to a decider in Brisbane.
It's the best result for broadcaster Nine as Origin III TV ratings drop considerably if the match is a dead rubber.
One in five Sydneysiders (1.1 million) watched the Blues blow their best chance of winning only a second Origin series in 12 years.
The cockroaches went into the sheds 16-6 up at half time and seemingly in control. With the series on the line, the cane toads lifted in the second and battled their way to parity in the 77th minute when Dane Gagai scored a try. Jonathan Thurston, under intense pressure, then stepped up and kicked the winning points only moments before the full-time siren.
The first two games of Origin are slightly down on the past two years, which reflects a general decline in TV audiences as media consumption fragments. The games are still huge audiences for Nine and will surely feature among the top rating TV shows this year.
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