UEFA Champions League Reveals Mid-Season Surge in Viewership

New Nielsen Sports SA data reveals that the UEFA Champions League is winning more viewers following the launch of its bold new format on SuperSport. The revised structure, introduced for the 2024/25 season, has delivered an expanded league phase, bringing more high-profile matches with broader audience appeal. Nielsen Sports SA’s analysis notes a marked shift in consumption patterns, highlighting the heightened anticipation around the revamped tournament.

Replacing the traditional group stage with a single league phase featuring 36 teams has changed the competition landscape. Each team now plays eight matches against different opponents, determined by seeding, before progressing to the knockout rounds. The shift has intensified competition and broadened the tournament's reach, increasing both live and secondary viewership.

Audience figures for the season show a 57% year-on-year increase in total unique viewers, climbing from 3.3 million to over 5.1 million. Live unique audiences have grown by 46%, reaching 3.7 million, while total consumption has risen by 72%, with over 24.7 million hours viewed. These gains indicate a strong response to the new format, particularly among fans of leading European clubs.

Matches involving Real Madrid, Barcelona, and leading Premier League teams have been central to this growth. The most-watched fixture so far, before this week’s Round of 16 matches, Manchester City’s clash with Real Madrid, attracted over 651,000 viewers, while Liverpool’s meeting with the Spanish giants drew more than 642,000. Barcelona’s fixture against Bayern Munich also ranked among the season’s top-performing matches, reinforcing the continued dominance of Europe’s biggest clubs in driving audience engagement.

The expanded broadcast footprint across SuperSport channels has also played a crucial role in boosting viewership. With the number of dedicated Champions League channels increasing from nine to 15, secondary broadcasts have seen a 65% rise. Audience shifts across DStv packages reflect a broader reach, with the Family and Compact tiers seeing the largest gains. SuperSport also showcased the final group stage fixtures simultaneously, which meant that all 18 games were simulcast on 18 different linear and OTT channels plus on SuperSport’s innovative Match Center multiscreen (DStv channel 199) on Wednesday, 29 January 2025. This was a record simultaneous live match screening for the broadcaster.

Duncan Stead, Commercial Manager at Nielsen Sports SA, commented on the findings: “The new Champions League format has redefined how fans engage with the tournament. We’ve seen substantial growth across all key metrics, from live audiences to total consumption.

The expanded league phase has brought more marquee matchups, sustaining audience interest throughout the group stage. Madrid and Barcelona remain key drivers of viewership, reinforcing their global appeal. These trends indicate a promising trajectory as we move towards the knockout stages.”

With the tournament now into its decisive phase, audience engagement is expected to continue to rise. The increased number of fixtures and expanded coverage options have already demonstrated the success of the new structure, with figures suggesting sustained growth in football viewership across key markets.