Eurosport Nets Highest Average Live Audience in 25 Years with Best Ever French Open

Eurosport has achieved record breaking audience figures through their coverage of the 2014 French Open.

The tournament attracted an average live audience of 1.36 million European viewers on Eurosport, erectile which is a rise of 17% from the previous record set back in 2012.

Maria Sharapova’s victory over Simona Halep was the most watched women’s tennis match in Eurosport’s history with an average live audience of 3.8 million viewers (+ 24% vs 2012 WTA Miami final Radwanska – Sharapova, previous best match).

The men’s final which saw Rafael Nadal triumph for the ninth time at Roland Garros was the best ever French Open final on Eurosport with over 4.1 million viewers in Europe and the second best ever tennis match on the channel, just behind the 2012 Australian Open final Nadal – Djokovic (4.3 million).

Fantastic achievement

Jean-Thierry Augustin, Eurosport Group CEO, said: “To have the best-ever French Open this year is a fantastic achievement for the whole Eurosport team.

“The strategy to identify and secure exclusivity in specific European markets on key properties has delivered the expected results. The French Open is definitely one of those key properties.”

This year’s French Open saw the highest live average audience rises vs 2013 in Romania and Spain (both +128%), UK (+79%) and France (+49%).

Audience reach was also up for Eurosport, with a total of 60.7 million different European viewers tuning in, against 58.8 million in the previous year.

That figure is narrowly behind Eurosport’s best ever Grand Slam reach on Eurosport and Eurosport 2, with 61.2 million viewers tuning in for the 2012 French Open.

“Our on-air coverage has been excellent and clearly matched viewers expectations who enjoyed some incredible tennis and great analysis from our experts,” added Augustin.

“It is especially pleasing to achieve this record in our 25^th year, which also marks the 25^th broadcast of the French Open on our channels.”

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