WC: Television ratings around the world

[Snoil11]

About the women's game ratings, the women's game was on ZDF, one of the main state-run networks, the hockey game was on Sport1, a cable sports network. The former could air a still picture of a fridge for two hours in primetime and a million old people would tune in out of habit, the latter doesn't usually get more than 2 million viewers even when they show UEFA Cup football simply because it is way back on many people's remote controls.

The fact the women's final was aired on ZDF is down mostly to political pressures. Most Germans couldn't name a lot of hockey players, but I doubt most could name anyone playing for Turbine Potsdam either (I can't and I am pretty familiar with Potsdam and don't live too far away from it).

I got the figures: the hockey-game drew an average attendance of 1.6 mio, but topped at 3.1 mio which is the largest audience Sport1 ever had for a hockey game.
The women's soccer game drew 3.97 mio, but the article did not mention whether it was average or not.

 

[Rjinswand]

The women's soccer game drew 3.97 mio, but the article did not mention whether it was average or not.

average

 

[Rjinswand]

Yesterdays match against Russia reached 2.49 mil. on average, the Champions League final afterwards reached about 12 mil. on average (on a bigger tv station).
Sweden vs. Czech Republic reached 390.000 on average.
Very good numbers so far, especially when you consider, that Sport1 expected 400.000 average for all matches (if I remember it correctly).

 

[Valverde]

Yesterdays match against Russia reached 2.49 mil. on average, the Champions League final afterwards reached about 12 mil. on average (on a bigger tv station).

OT: Wow, 12 million doesn't seem to be much, you'd think a final with a German team in it would draw a bigger audience.

On the other hand, WCs numbers look great, impressive. Don't know how are the ratings here in Poland, but I imagine today's final might draw MAYBE 100,000 people. Low number, but hockey is non-existant here.

 

[Like Wall]

And this whole flag-waving thing is seriously one of the most annoying European habits ever.

Did they copy the idea of "big" flag from this?

 

[Uncle Rotter]

Did they copy the idea of "big" flag from this?

The first time I remember seeing a gigantic Canadian flag would be the closing ceremonies of the 1988 Olympics

 

[JVR]

OT: Wow, 12 million doesn't seem to be much, you'd think a final with a German team in it would draw a bigger audience.

Well, a lot of people actually don't really care for Bayern. I didn't watch and none of my family of friends did either.

Still, I don't really know how ratings are done in Germany.

When Germany beat Argentina in 2006 pretty much every German watched the game, there were no cars on the street and I think the ratings they published were 24.000.000.

I guess they don't count babies or something.

 

[TheMoreYouKnow]

Well, a lot of people actually don't really care for Bayern. I didn't watch and none of my family of friends did either.

Still, I don't really know how ratings are done in Germany.

When Germany beat Argentina in 2006 pretty much every German watched the game, there were no cars on the street and I think the ratings they published were 24.000.000.

I guess they don't count babies or something.

The rating numbers are calculated via 5,000 representative households who are connected via equipment to the company who does the ratings thus public viewings, bars, groups of friends meeting up etc. don't really show up in it.

Also the market share for the game was 86%, the game was on a weekday in late afternoon so you gotta figure lots of people (everyone in retail for that matter) were at work.

 

[Rjinswand]

12 mil. is only the audience of the free tv station Sat1 (forgot to mention that). It was also broadcasted on pay tv (Sky), and because they are said to have better commentators, I would expect the majority of Sky subscribers (total: about 2.5 mil.) watched it on pay tv. And I think numbers from sports bars, pubs and so called public viewings are not included - Allianz Arena alone had 70.000 watching the game there.

 

[pepty]

That's cool, but I never compared the WC to the Olympics. Obviously I think the Olympics are far superior. Why would that stop me from enjoying more international hockey though? But I guess that is where we differ.

While its true that not many North American hockey fans are losing sleep over not medalling in the World Championship this year, there has been some great hockey played at this tournement.

I have never such embarrassing drivel as that Sun article. We Canadians come off looking like a bunch of sore losers. The phrase that fits all this twisting and shouting about not caring is sour grapes.

We care more than any other nation about the Junior Championship. If another teams fans only response about having a losing team is that they don't care(and they likley dont, not like we do) then I would think the same thing about them as they no doubt think-and with good reason-about us.

Though there were no doubt Olympians that didnt want to come over there are a lot of excellent players that might have wanted a chance to play for their country this year when some of the superstars were out. Messier decided for some reason to go with young players. That was his decision and presumably Hockey Canada's and no amount of cryng about Crosby not bailing them out can change that.

But if Messier took this position seriously why did he bring over a scout for Edmonton to act as assistant coach? I still don't get that.

But rather than criticise Messier and Mactavish, too many fans and members of the Sports Media responded like a bunch of sore heads with a "who cares?"

 

[TheCH*]

I will never forget the tears in the canandian's faces after the WC' 08 final. Yo don't cry for something you don't care about it.

BTW, If Canada doesn't want to take part in international competitions, good riddance. We don't need its wrestlers.

Olympics Gold Baby!!

Thats all i gotta say..

 

[LuigiStone*]

Here in Uganda there were 3 viewers.

 

[WeberStreit]

Switzerland-Germany had really strong ratings in Switzerland. Over 500k in the german part of Switzerland (population about 4,5 million).

 

[StrictlyCommercial]

I don't understand the bickering in this thread, I thought this was a solid world championships. On the downside, I didn't have a friend playing, but on the upside the games were all really close and well fought once the first groups were done with. The Czech win over the Russian A/B team has to be one of the most epic in WC History.

 

[Canuck21t]

While its true that not many North American hockey fans are losing sleep over not medalling in the World Championship this year, there has been some great hockey played at this tournement.

I have never such embarrassing drivel as that Sun article. We Canadians come off looking like a bunch of sore losers. The phrase that fits all this twisting and shouting about not caring is sour grapes.

We care more than any other nation about the Junior Championship. If another teams fans only response about having a losing team is that they don't care(and they likley dont, not like we do) then I would think the same thing about them as they no doubt think-and with good reason-about us.

Though there were no doubt Olympians that didnt want to come over there are a lot of excellent players that might have wanted a chance to play for their country this year when some of the superstars were out. Messier decided for some reason to go with young players. That was his decision and presumably Hockey Canada's and no amount of cryng about Crosby not bailing them out can change that.

But if Messier took this position seriously why did he bring over a scout for Edmonton to act as assistant coach? I still don't get that.

But rather than criticise Messier and Mactavish, too many fans and members of the Sports Media responded like a bunch of sore heads with a "who cares?"

Excellent post, I totally agree with you. I'm embarrassed to be Canadian right now. The not caring is true but the tournament is still very fun to watch and we should just accept with what we have. The game is played on the ice and not on paper and having big stars is not a guarantee for winning.

Mark Messier should be far far away from Hockey Canada. He just doesn't seam serious enough. And I want Andy Murray back.

 

[Rjinswand]

Germany vs. Sweden: 0.9 mil.
Russia vs. Czech Republic: 0.51 mil.

 

[Dominus]

So how do these compare with the Olympics & World Cup? And with past years?

http://www.finnpanel.fi/en/tulokset/tv.php

Gold medal game Canada vs. Finland in 2007 WHC had 1 469 000 viewers (83%). That's the biggest number of sporting events in Finland in recent years. Basically WHC games are one of the few programs that consistently get over million viewers. Last year there was 15 programs that got over million viewers and 5 of them were WHC hockey games (Canada-Finland 1 393 000, USA-Finland 1 354 000, Slovakia-Finland 1 067 000, Czech-Finland 1 011 000, Belarus-Finland 1 011 000).

In some days this year's Olympics got just over million viewers but it would've been more if the games were in Europe.

Some interesting figures:
- Football European Championship Final 2008: 818 000 (51%)
- Eurovision song contest final 2007: 1 905 000 (83%) (these get over million every year)
- Skijump World Cup Bischofshofen 2010: 1 445 000 (64%)
- Football World Cup 2010 qualifier Finland-Russia: 286 000 (19%)

 

[klikkar]

Final CZE - RUS game had 2,9 milion viewers(nearly 30% of population) in Czech Republic .

Games with Finland, Sweden and Latvia had about 1,3 milion viewers each

 

[New User Name]

I thought the WC was great. Don't take what one newspaper said to represent all Canadians.

 

[Geric]

The Toronto Sun is not a newspaper. I think it's mostly used for toilet paper and bedding.

 

[slovakiasnextone]

Slovakia, 5,4 million citizens

WHC 2010
Kazakhstan-Slovakia 722 000
Slovakia-Russia 699 000
Belarus-Slovakia 608 000
Slovakia-Denmark 443 000
Denmark-Russia 261 000
Russia-Belarus 128 000
Russia-Kazakstan 84 000
Czech republic-Russia gold medal game 451 000

Some other recent hockey and sports events:
Vancouver Olympics 2010
Slovakia-Canada semifinal 467 000- at 03:00 a.m. local time
Slovakia-Finland bronze medal game 463 000- at 03:00 a.m. local time
Slovakia-Sweden quarterfinal 436 000- at 07:00 a.m. loca time on a week day

Football World Cup Qualification
Slovakia-Czech republic (2010 Football World Cup Qualifier) aired on two channels STV1+STV3 819 000 first half, 871 000 second half

WJC 2009
Slovakia-Sweden semifinal by periods 504 000/447 000/395 000
Slovakia-Russia bronze medal game by periods 172 000/205 000/136 000

However the numbers are only from Slovak TV´s STV1 and STV3 and most of these games were also availebl on Czech ČT2 and many Slovak hockey fans prefer rather watching hockey on ČT, even if those are Slovakia games and ČT showed all Slovakia games except for those that were at the same time as Czech games.

 

[Dominus]

Slovakia, 5,4 million citizens

WJC 2009
Slovakia-Sweden semifinal by periods 504 000/447 000/395 000

Wow... those are amazing numbers for WJC in Europe!

 

[slovakiasnextone]

Wow... those are amazing numbers for WJC in Europe!

Yes, they are, however it has to do with quite a few circumstances:
- It was the first ever televized WJC in Slovakia and even more the fact that it was the first semifinal for any Slovak hockey team since the 2004 WHC and it was comming off the worst WHC in history in Halifax and the fact that Janus and co. upset of the US in the quarterfinal made it to the front pgaes of all Slovakia´s dailies on the day of the SVK-SWE game, plus game was at 20:15 local time or something like that and finally it was during the Christmas break and peopel are probably already a bit tired from watching the same Czech/Slovak fairy tales. None the less it is still impressive. However I can´t seem to find the ratings from this year, when we played most of the games at 01:30 a.m. and sucked