TV Viewership for WC Final

[cliffkram]

Does anyone know where I can find OFFICIAL stats of Viewership count for the WC Final, or any of WC 2002?
Thanks

[nicodemus]

Originally posted by cliffkram
Does anyone know where I can find OFFICIAL stats of Viewership count for the WC Final, or any of WC 2002?
Thanks There's no way to get an "official" stat. Think of all the developing countries in the world that have a million better things to be doing than tracking television viewing statistics. The best you're going to be able to come up with are the rough estimates, which usually hover around 1-1.5 billion for the championship match. Suffice to say that the world cup is infinitely more watched than the Olympics or the Super Bowl. One "official" stat you can get are webhits for the World Cup site and for the Olympic site. I don't remember where I saw them, (I believe yahoo was tracking them), but the world cup site had more hits in less than a week of going online than the Olympic site did the whole time. That's probably the closest "official" assesment you'll get of viewership if trying to compare it to another event.

[cliffkram]

Thanks. I ask because I'm trying to explain to my Ameri-centric friend that soccer is more popular than Pointyball in the world. He thinks more people watched the SuperBowl than WC Final. I think 490 million watched SuperBowl this year.

[foreverjunjun]

i read in a credible japanese magazine that the number of total viewership for 1998 WC was 3.7 billion (i did a research in hooliganism during HS). but that's a span of one month, not one match.

[minuscapita]

Originally posted by cliffkram
Thanks. I ask because I'm trying to explain to my Ameri-centric friend that soccer is more popular than Pointyball in the world. He thinks more people watched the SuperBowl than WC Final. I think 490 million watched SuperBowl this year.

Whaaaa!!
There is no way that 490M watched the SuperBowl this year!! The US population is 300+ million and not all of them watched the game, Less than 150 million probably maybe even much less.
There is no possible way that 490 million people watched the game.

[Sykotyk]

The Super Bowl gets about a 40 rating, which means 40% of all _households_ had at least one TV on with at least one viewer tuned in to watch the game. Then realize that the huge majority of people get together to watch the Super Bowl (I went to a friend's house that had 12 people), the ratings themselves can be skewered.

Sykotyk

[AvidSinger]

Originally posted by minuscapita
Whaaaa!!
There is no way that 490M watched the SuperBowl this year!! The US population is 300+ million and not all of them watched the game, Less than 150 million probably maybe even much less.
There is no possible way that 490 million people watched the game. The Super Bowl is watched all over the world. I actually think 490M is a bit low, as I recall hearing numbers as high as 750M.

A couple years ago, two of my brothers were vacationing in Paris and had the pleasure of watching the Super Bowl with French announcers who, they said, had absolutely no clue about the game.

[Germanshepherd]

The Super-Bowl is at night here in Europe.

Last time 300000 people watched it in Germany.

500 Million is way to high.

[rangers00]

Why people still think lots of people watching the SB globally is still beyond me...

Will you watch the Cricket World Cup final? the Rugby World Cup final? the Aussie Grand Final? the ultimate game of a sport that you don't understand?

Most of the posters here are Americans. They understand football. Very few people in Europe, Asia and Africa understand American football. They don't have the concepts of downs, pass vs run, pass rush, interceptions, etc. They don't know how the game is played.

Understanding the game of football is not a given.

And the other reason for watching the SB, the ads, doesn't apply either. The ads you see on American TV are limited to American distribution only. Every foreign telecast of the Super Bowl has its own ads.

[RichardL]

Originally posted by AvidSinger
The Super Bowl is watched all over the world. I actually think 490M is a bit low, as I recall hearing numbers as high as 750M.

A couple years ago, two of my brothers were vacationing in Paris and had the pleasure of watching the Super Bowl with French announcers who, they said, had absolutely no clue about the game.

this was covered on a different thread a while back. The figure of 800M for the superbowl was an estimate. What they did for the world outside of the US was to state the number of people who either watched the game live or could have taped it and watched it later - essentially if your house received a channel that showed the game you were included in the estimate, whether you watched it or not.

[minuscapita]

Take it from me, No more than 150 million watched the SB.
I lived in Europe (Spain) and the Middle East (Jordan) and I have never met anybody that even knew that the Super Bowl existed! The know that Americans have something called Football and have a vague idea of what it is but cant name ONE team if their life dependent on it.
I live in the bay area and in the last SB I was out with my friends, we where stuck in traffic for and hour or so! That off course was during the second quarter!! I think there were more people out doing what ever they do than watching the SB!
Marty

[pc4th]

Super Bowl seen by 800 millions people is a JOKE.

At max, the Super Bowl was viewed LIVE by 200 millions people, even that is a high estimate. Add in the tape delay for other parts of the world, the number couldn't be even higher than 250 millions world wide.

The superbowl I believe was seen by 140 millions Americans last year. That is 50% of the US population. I would say around 100 millions or so tune in because of the event (the hype, the commercials, the sheer publicity of it) and around 40 millions people watch it because they care about the game (the average people that watch Monday night football is around 15 millions I think) so maybe 40 millions people who were really into it might be a little too high.

Okay,so for the US: 140 millions watched it live
Canada: maybe 10 millions?
Mexico: 5 millions?
Central American?: 5millions?
South American?: 5 millions?

Europe: (since it is on at 1 AM in the morning) I doubt it if it is seen LIVE by more than 5 millions
remember Germany is a huge country with a huge population yet only 300,000 people watch it. Europe need 17 countries/viewers ship like that to get to 5 millions

Russia? (3-4 AM) and probably most do know know what the super bowl is I don't think it could drew 300,000 people

China? (5-6 AM) couldn't be more than 10,000 since I don't believe it is broadcast on TV at all

Japan: (8 AM?) maybe someone care enough about the SuperBowl to skip works and watch the game. 1 millions people is a VERY high estimate

The rest of Asia and Middle East: can't be more than 5 millions

Australia/new zealand: maybe 2 mil?

Africa: yeah, lot of TVs there and lot of people caring enough about American football to wake up in the middle of the night to watch it Live
estimation: maybe 100,000?

North pole/south pole: 0 (even the scientists that do live there probably are not keen on the SB)

look like around 175-180 millions people watch it live, with 140 from the US, and 35-40 from abroad.

As for Tape delay and what not, I don't think people really care enough to watch it. I am estimating maybe 50 millions people did. (but I believe I am giving too much credit)

like rangers said:
Will you watch the Cricket World Cup final? the Rugby World Cup final? the Aussie Grand Final? the ultimate game of a sport that you don't understand?


how many Americans will watch those giving consider that Americans are very diversed?

Thus in conclusion, from the 175-180 milliions that does watch it live to around 50 millions that watch it on tape delay, the super bowl can't drew more than 230 millions people.
Heck, the Cricket World Cup drew a lot more than the Super Bowl and will continue to do so. Last time I heard around 800 millions people or so watch it the cricket world cup live, and i am not surprised giving the population of india (1.2 billiions) and Pakistan (100 mils?)
For the WC championship game, it should be around 1 to 1.5 billions or so. Chinese are getting used to the game and are loving it (Real Madrid anyone? 50 millions in merchandise???) . If 1 out of 4 chinese watch the world cup final, that would equate to around 320 millions or so. Add in the number from Russia, Europe, Africa and South American, and the growing soccer-loving Asian countries, you will get well over 1 billions mark. In the U.S. I believe over 15 millions watched it. (ABC, UNIVISION, and CBC which is available in some areas). Thus for the WC02 Championship game, in my area, there are 3 channels covering it.

Here is another thought:

Let say that WC to Americans is what SuperBowl is to the rest of the world

If 15 out of 280 (15 millions out of 280 millions) watched the WC, that is 5.36% of Amerians. Thus if the SuperBowl is what to the rest of the world as WC is to Americans, then only 5.36% would watch it. If the population of this world is 6 billions. Then 5.36% of 6 billions is only 321 millions people.

However, as I proved above, there is no way 321 million people watch it because no body understand the game and no body care. Despite living in the U.S. for 4 years, I don't give american football much a thought until recently when I know the rules. Living in the US, I am bombarded with football on TV and yet I could care lesss to check it out. How would a person abroad who do not have that luxury to do so would want to watch a game where it is a total stranger to them.

In germany a country that have NFL Europe (3 or 4 teams) yet only 300,000 people care to watch it should say it ALL. And quite frankly, I don't think NFL will catch on to the rest of the world because of the lack of continuity and too much commericials. If you are used to the flow of soccer, American football is a huge turn off in that sense.

[minuscapita]

Hey pc4th!
Nice break down but I think you are being very generous in you estimates, there is no way 5 million people in the Middle east/Asia watched the SB!
Plus I remember hearing on ABC or CBS (can’t remember) that 120 million people watched the game peeking to 160 Million during the half time!!! So much for watching the actual game!

[Bauser]

Originally posted by minuscapita
Plus I remember hearing on ABC or CBS (can’t remember) that 120 million people watched the game peeking to 160 Million during the half time!!! So much for watching the actual game!

:D

Only in America can a sporting TV event peak at half time! What happened at half time? For next year you can break the half-time entertainment into four quarters and have the SuperBowl match in the original half-time break. For optimal TV audience, I mean.

[rangers00]

Originally posted by Bauser
:D

Only in America can a sporting TV event peak at half time! What happened at half time?

The half-time of a normal NFL game is 15 minutes. The half-time show of the SB is a center-stage musical. The whole half-time last for 25-30 minutes.

Absurd? isn't it? Imagine they put up a 30 minute musical during the half-time of a World Cup final, say, under the 100 degree heat of the Azteca...

[Roehl Sybing]

I believe BBC Sport has called the Super Bowl the largest/most viewed one-day event in the sporting calendar.

The discussion is pointless anyways, as it is quite embarrassing for all of you to ridicule American football or find some way to make it the enemy of soccer.

[minuscapita]

Originally posted by Roehl Sybing
I believe BBC Sport has called the Super Bowl the largest/most viewed one-day event in the sporting calendar.

The discussion is pointless anyways, as it is quite embarrassing for all of you to ridicule American football or find some way to make it the enemy of soccer.

Yeah, ok......Whatever!
Just using common sense is all, Am not trying to put down American Football just saying that 800+ million watched the SB is a ludicrous estimate.

Ok, I am back with some links to back up what i said.
137.65 million people watched the SB in America.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/2003/playoffs/news/2003/01/27/superbowl_ratings_ap/


and over 1.5 Billion watched the WC final in the world.

http://www.abc.net.au/worldcup2002/items/s594926.htm

So now if we can figer out how many people watched the SB in the world we can add it to the 137.65 and it wont be over 200 million,trust me.


And here is a good read,check out this link.

http://www.uni.edu/pubrel/newsroom/releases/012301.html

[WatfordFC Fan]

Originally posted by Roehl Sybing
I believe BBC Sport has called the Super Bowl the largest/most viewed one-day event in the sporting calendar.

The discussion is pointless anyways, as it is quite embarrassing for all of you to ridicule American football or find some way to make it the enemy of soccer.

Easy there, no one's ridiculing your precious helmetball, it's purely debate. It's humorous however, that on Superbowl Sunday, yank announcers love to proclaim the game as the "biggest sports day in the world!" "the world is tuned in!" "millions all over the globe are watching" when in reality it doesn't even compare to the world cup final in addition to the overwhelming majority of people outside the U.S. not giving a toss.

[Craig the Aussie]

It would probably be fair enough to call SB to biggest ANNUAL one day sporting event.

But even so, outside of USA, Canada, maybe Mexico & South America (don't know ??), a pocket in Germany & maybe Japan - who is interested in the 'world championship' of American Football?

China, India & Indonesia - 3 of the most populous countries don't give a flying you know what.

Here in Australia, given that it comes on early morning on a Monday - noone really watches (plus I think it is telecast on the ""multicultural" channel, along with the Polish news and Brazilian soap operas, and which isn't received by a lot of homes)

[Roehl Sybing]

Originally posted by WatfordFC Fan
Easy there, no one's ridiculing your precious helmetball,
You just did, so why should I read the rest of your post?