Manchester City will play against Inter in the 2022-2023 Champions League final. It is one of the most anticipated sporting events of 2023 and, with so many implications on the line, millions of people will be watching.
Manchester City could finish the greatest season in club history with a win at Istanbul. A victory would give them the famous treble: Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup. Manchester United are the only English team to do it (1998-1999).
Meanwhile, Inter are trying to pull an incredible upset after conquering the Italian Cup and the Italian Super Cup. Of course, with all the level of expectation, the Champions League final is often compared to other massive sporting events such as the Super Bowl, the World Series or the FIFA World Cup.
How many viewers watch the Champions League Final?
During the last years, the Champions League final had an average of almost 400 million viewers worldwide. In the US, the 2021-2022 final between Real Madrid and Liverpool set a new record with 5.4 million viewers. The previous mark belonged to the 2011 final: Barcelona vs Manchester United (4.1 million viewers).
Champions League Final vs. FIFA World Cup Final
Last December, FIFA announced that approximately 1.5 billion people watched the Qatar 2022 World Cup final live on TV. The numbers were spectacular as the match was one of the best in soccer history. Argentina and Lionel Messi hoisted the trophy after beating France in penalty kicks. There’s just no bigger event in sports.
Champions League Final vs. Super Bowl
In the US, the 2023 Super Bowl between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles had 113 million average viewers. The third biggest broadcast of all time.
At the international level, the estimated number of viewers was close to 40 million putting the worldwide total approximately in 150 million. The Champions League final has way more impact around the globe.
Champions League Final vs NBA Finals
In the US, the number of viewers for the 2022 NBA Finals had an average of 12.4 million. The numbers were 22 per cent higher compared to 2021 and those were the most watched finals in three years. The peak of average audience in the series came in Game 6 with almost 14 million viewers during the Warriors’ victory 104-90 over the Boston Celtics.
Champions League Final vs MLB World Series
According to MLB, the 2022 World Series between the Houston Astros and the Philadelphia Phillies averaged 12 million viewers in the US across all platforms. The final matchup of the season reached a peak audience of 14.73 million viewers during Game 6.
As it happens with all other sports in the US, the Champions League produces better numbers. Only the FIFA World Cup and the Olympic Games surpass the event.
For example, the Olympic Winter Games at Beijing in 2022 reached a global broadcast audience of more than 2 billion people. However, compared to the World Cup or the Champions League final, the Olympics are a two-week sporting event.
