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- Average 5.9m tune in on France’s TF1
- 1m watch on Italy’s Canale 5
- Germany’s ZDF bags 8.39m viewers
The Uefa Champions League final scored strong free-to-air (FTA) viewing figures in major European markets, despite a delayed start to the match.
Spanish public broadcaster RTVE pulled in an average audience of 7.7 million viewers, a 52.8 per cent share. That made it the most-watched Champions League final in the country since the all-Spanish encounter between Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid in 2014. Viewership on RTVE’s La 1 channel peaked at 8.7 million, while the RTVE Play streaming service had more than 718,500 total unique visitors.
In France, an average 5.9 million viewers tuned in on TF1, handing the commercial broadcaster a 33.4 per cent audience share. Pay-TV network Canal+ pulled in 1.06 million viewers. In contrast, last year’s all-English final between Chelsea and Manchester City had an audience of only 2.4 million on RMC Story.
Italy’s Canale 5 commercial network bagged an average audience of 6.1 million, a 33.7 per cent share. Pay-TV giant Sky Italia saw 1.07 million tune in.
In Germany, public broadcaster ZDF racked up an average 8.39 million viewers, giving it a 34.5 per cent market share. This rose to 41.4 per cent in the 14 to 49 age group. Sports streaming company DAZN also aired the match, though has not released its viewing figures. Last year’s final was not show on German FTA television. ZDF last broadcast the fixture in 2020, attracting around 12.8 million viewers as German champions Bayern Munich defeated Paris Saint-Germain.
For the UK, the game was broadcast by pay-TV’s BT Sport, which also streamed the match for free on YouTube and provided open access via its digital channels. Viewing figures are yet to be released, but last year’s final reached 8.7 million viewers across BT’s linear TV channel and its digital platforms.
Real Madrid’s victory over Liverpool netted the Spanish outfit their 14th Champions League title, but the match was marred by chaotic scenes outside the Stade de France, which pushed the kickoff time back by 36 minutes.
The fallout has continued after attempts by officials in France to blame fans without tickets for the trouble were met with rebukes by UK politicians and Liverpool executives.
