The Euro 2024 football coverage kicked off with large television audiences for public service broadcasters in major markets, notably in the host nation Germany. Football is still able to bring nations together in a shared television experience. The numbers depend on fixtures, timings, and the progress of national teams but can produce record viewing figures.
The opening match saw Germany beat Scotland 5-1, watched by an average audience of 22.49 million viewers on public service broadcaster ZDF in Germany, with a 69% share of viewers at the time. That was slightly less than the opening game of the 2020 championship, played in 2021, when 22.55 million watched Germany lose to France. In 2016, the semi-final between Germany and France had an audience of 29.82 million on ZDF. The largest audience was for the 2014 World Cup final between Germany and Argentina, watched by 34.65 million, with an 86% share for Das Erste.
In the United Kingdom, the game between Germany and Scotland was shown on ITV, with an average audience of 6 million, or 9.1 million over the course of the match, and a peak of 10.4 million. It was the highest peak audience of a tournament kick-off since the 2014 World Cup in Brazil and the highest coverage average since the start of the Euros in France in 2016. STV in Scotland reported a peak audience of 1.4 million.
The England match against Serbia had an average audience of 10.5 million on the BBC, with a peak audience of 15 million, including 3.5 million on BBC iPlayer.
The game against Denmark had an average audience of 11.2 million on the BBC, with a peak of 13.1 million, and 5.6 million viewing online through the BBC iPlayer, Sport app and web site.
In both cases, well over half of those watching television at the time were viewing these matches.
However, the numbers have yet to match the England against Denmark game played in 2021, which gained an audience of 18.40 million for ITV. The final in that year, between Italy and England, was watched by 29.85 million across the BBC and ITV.
20 years ago, an opening game between England and France had an average audience of 15 million, with a peak of 19.5 million.
Other Euro 2024 matches marked large audiences for other national broadcasters.
France against Austria reached 11.25 million on TF1, with 48% share of the audience.
Italy against Albania scored 10.4 million viewers on Rai Uno, with another 1.1 million on Sky Italia.
Spain against Croatia gained an audience of over 5 million for La1, with a peak of 5.66 million.
The Poland against Netherlands provided NOS with an audience of 4.7 million.