The Club World Cup final, featuring Chelsea's triumphant 3-0 victory over Paris Saint-Germain, was watched by a peak audience of 2.4 million on Channel 5, demonstrating the growing popularity of football among UK viewers.
Channel 5's broadcast attracted an average audience of approximately 1.7 million viewers, accounting for a significant share (12.7%) of the total available audience during that time slot. This figure is even more impressive when considering that an additional 459,000 fans tuned in to watch live coverage via Channel 5’s streaming service.
The free-to-air broadcaster shared the rights to air the tournament with sports streaming giant DAZN, which also offered free viewing for this highly anticipated fixture. The collaboration between these two platforms provided football fans with multiple viewing options and contributed to the high viewer turnout.
High performance among specific demographics
Channel 5 has revealed that its coverage of all the matches during this competition resonated particularly well with younger audiences aged between 16-34 and ABC1 viewers - a demographic group often associated with higher income levels and education attainment.
Lee Sears, president of brand studios at Paramount Global, said:
“We’re thrilled that 2.4 million viewers watched Chelsea win the FIFA Club World Cup final on 5. The audience response to the whole tournament has been extremely positive, with viewing on both 5’s linear channel and our streaming service exceeding our expectations - especially as it’s brought a new and diverse audience to the channel. There’s a clear appetite for top-tier sport on free-to-air TV, and smart partnerships like this one with DAZN are helping us deliver something genuinely exciting for viewers and advertisers through live sport on 5.”
Among the matches aired, several fixtures stood out for their high viewership. Chelsea’s opening match against Los Angeles FC attracted a peak linear audience of about 1.6 million, while Paris Saint-Germain’s semi-final against Real Madrid was watched by around 1.2 million viewers at its peak. The match between Real Madrid and Al Hilal also drew significant attention, peaking at approximately 1.1 million viewers. Other notable games included Flemengo versus Bayern Munich and Manchester City vs Wydad AC, which peaked with roughly one million and around 934k viewers respectively.
Extensive reach across UK viewership
In total, Channel 5's linear coverage across both its main channel and 5Action reached over 14 million UK viewers. This impressive figure underscores the broad appeal of football in the UK and the effectiveness of Channel 5's coverage strategy.
The Club World Cup final's high viewership on Channel 5 is a testament to both the popularity of football in general and specifically, international club competitions among UK audiences. The success also highlights how effective broadcasting partnerships can be in reaching a wider audience base.
