The 2009 Champions League final beat the NFL’s Super Bowl as the most-watched annual sports event in the world, according to a survey by futures sport + entertainment.
The 2009 Champions League final beat the NFL’s Super Bowl as the most-watched annual sports event in the world, according to a survey by futures sport + entertainment.
Barcelona versus Manchester United last May drew a television audience of 109 million, whilst the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Arizona Cardinals in February 2009 attracted 106 million.
Formula 1’s season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was in third place with an average of 54 million, and the Men’s 100 Metres Final at the Athletics World Championships – featuring a certain Usain Bolt – came in fourth place with 33 million.
The report is based on official data from national bodies and measures “at-home viewing”.
The Super Bowl’s audience was overwhelmingly domestic but the (proper) football attracted viewers globally.
“While the Super Bowl has secured free-to-air broadcasting deals in a number of important European markets such as the UK, France and Germany, its distribution and popularity in the key Asia-Pacific region lags far behind the Champions League,” said Kevin Alavay, the report’s director.