France Dominates Austria in Euro 2024 Opener
The much-anticipated Group D match between France and Austria at the Euro 2024 kicked off on Monday evening at the Düsseldorf Arena, garnering significant viewership despite facing stiff competition. The French team's victory was marked by an own goal from the Austrian side, a broken nose for star player Mbappé, and multiple yellow cards.
Record Viewership Despite Historical Comparisons
TF1's broadcast of the match attracted an XXL audience, with 11.25 million viewers tuning in live. However, this figure is lower compared to previous Euro audiences. For instance, the 2021 France-Germany match on M6 drew 15.1 million viewers, while the 2016 opening match against Romania attracted 14.4 million. Nevertheless, the 47.6% market share for this year remained impressive, making it the best audience of 2024 so far.
Despite the competitive match and high viewership, other TV programs also fared well. France 3's 'Meurtres à Figeac' secured the highest rating of the evening with 3.22 million viewers, closely followed by the Italy-Albania Euro match on M6 with 2.68 million viewers.
- The game saw a significant turnout in terms of media coverage and viewership. ARD, a German channel, provided live coverage of the match with previews starting at 8:15 p.m. and commentary by Tom Bartels and Almuth Schult. This coverage was also available for live streaming on ardmediathek.de.
- Magenta TV also offered a live stream of the game with Wolff Fuss providing commentary, though it required a subscription. The match was crucial as both teams vie for progression in the highly competitive Group D alongside the Netherlands and Poland.
- Upcoming matches for both teams will test their resolve further. Austria is set to face Poland on June 21 and the Netherlands on June 25, while France will take on the Netherlands on June 21 before concluding the group phase against Poland on June 25.
