More than 700 million set to watch final
Reuters - Sunday 11 July 2010, 11:24
JOHANNESBURG - A worldwide television
audience of more than 700 million is expected to watch the World
Cup final between Netherlands and Spain on Sunday, FIFA said.
Football's world governing body added that record viewing
figures were reported in Germany for Wednesday's semi-final with
Spain, while the United States had reported a 50 percent
increase in overall figures compared to 2006.
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"I think the audience for the final will be bigger than
2006, when it was watched by 700 million people," Niclas
Ericson, director of FIFA's TV division, told reporters.
He said that in Germany a record of nearly 32 million
viewers had watched the semi-final, which Spain won 1-0 in
Durban, for a market share of about 90 percent.
Spanish channel Telecinco reported 13.3 million for that
match, nearly a third of the population and by far the highest
audience for any programme in the last five years, FIFA said.
In the U.S., 19 million people watched the 2-1 second round
defeat by Ghana, a record audience for a men's football match.
"Overall figures in the U.S. are up 50 percent," said Ericson.
There were also record viewing figures in the Middle East,
even though Al Jazeera's signal was mysteriously blocked during
the opener between South Africa and Mexico, which ended 1-1.
"If we find out who has done this, we will take appropriate
measures," said Ericson.
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