The FIFA Women’s World Cup semi-finals set new viewing records for broadcasters this week, the latest impressive figures showing strong interest in the flagship women’s football competition in key television markets.

FOX has enjoyed increasing television audiences in the United States for its coverage of the competition in Canada. The semi-final between the U.S. and Germany broke the broadcaster’s viewing record for football coverage, attracting an average audience of 8.4 million. It was the most-watched FIFA World Cup semi-final, for either men or women, on record in the United States.

An average audience of 9.3 million viewers in Japan tuned in to the nation’s match against England on Fuji TV, just below the 9.8 million fans that watched the 2011 final and more than double the audience for the 2011 semi-final on the same channel.

BBC1 drew an average audience of 1.7 million for England’s defeat against Japan, the highest figure for the given time slot on the UK state broadcaster’s prime channel this year and the largest UK audience for the 2015 edition of the competition.

Impressive television audiences in key markets during the FIFA Women’s World Cup have underlined the growing popularity of women’s football, building on the success of previous tournaments and increasing media interest in the sport.

“The FIFA Women’s World Cup has delivered some very encouraging viewing figures so far,” said Niclas Ericson, FIFA’s Director of TV. “We are seeing more demand from fans, and more broadcasters around the world investing more in their coverage, helping to promote women’s football and its flagship international competition.”

*FIfa.com