[ad_1]
242.8 million viewers tuned in to watch the 2022 Qatar World Cup final, as Argentina defeated France in a match dubbed the “best World Cup final of all time.”
beIN MEDIA GROUP (“beIN”) has announced record audience figures for the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar™, marking a World Cup™ triumph in its own right. beIN’s flagship Middle East and North Africa (MENA) beIN SPORTS channel accumulated more than 5.4 billion views during the month-long tournament, with 1.1 billion views across its official social media channels.
The much-anticipated final, in which Argentina defeated France 4-2 on penalties to become the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar™ champions, attracted 242.8 million viewers to the beIN SPORTS free-to-air channel. This figure equates to 68% of the total adult population in the MENA region, or more than two-thirds, and when analyzed by country, the results showed particularly strong viewership in Qatar, where 93% of adults watched the show. In Morocco, 91% of adults watched, followed by Lebanon (89%), Algeria (79%) and Egypt (72%). Meanwhile, on its official YouTube channel, the final attracted 25 million viewers, with a peak of 4.44 million viewers during the penalty shootout.
beIN’s total audience for all matches across its entire coverage area of 24 MENA countries increased by 135% compared to the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™ broadcast on the Qatar network. The 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar Final attracted 88 million more beIN SPORTS viewers than the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia Final. Average TV audiences per match across the tournament increased significantly in 2022 to 80.6 million, compared to 36.2 million in 2018.
Mohammad Al-Subaie, CEO of beIN – MENA, said: “The fact that the inaugural Middle East World Cup broke regional viewing records, with over 5.4 billion cumulative views throughout the tournament month, was very special for us and a testament to audience appetite. We are proud to be the exclusive rights holder for football and similar events in the Arab world as we continue to inspire, educate and entertain audiences across the Middle East and North Africa.”
This year’s tournament was held in the Middle East for the first time, with four teams from the Arab world: hosts Qatar, neighbouring Saudi Arabia and two North African nations, Tunisia and Morocco. Morocco’s Atlas Lions went the furthest, becoming the first Arab nation and the first African nation to reach the semi-finals of a World Cup with historic wins over Spain and Portugal in the qualifying stage.
[ad_2]
Source link
