Eurodata TV Worldwide and TV Sports Markets survey shows that the UEFA Champions League is must-have content for commercial free-to-air broadcasters across Europe.

The cumulative average television audience across the big five European markets for this season’s Champions League final, between Barcelona and Manchester United, was 27 per cent up on the all-English final in 2007-08.

According to Eurodata TV Worldwide figures, a total of 47 million viewers watched Barcelona’s 2-0 triumph on free-to-air television, with Spanish broadcaster Antena 3’s coverage drawing 11.3 million viewers and ITV in the UK attracting 9.6 million. The Manchester United-Chelsea final in 2007-08, despite going to penalties, was watched by only 38 million viewers.

Barcelona’s second championship success in four years helped Antena 3 lift its average audience for the competition as a whole by nine per cent, while audiences in France and Germany rose three and four per cent respectively on the 2007-08 season.

But audiences for commercial broadcaster ITV in the UK dropped 9.5 per cent, despite three Premier League clubs reaching the semi-finals for the third successive year. More predictably, Italian audiences on public-service broadcaster Rai fell by nine per cent, reflecting the fact that no Serie A clubs progressed passed the first knockout round this season.

French commercial broadcaster TF1 drew the highest average audience among the big five, the 13 matches it showed live drawing an average 6.688 million viewers and a 27-per-cent audience share. The UK’s ITV came next, with an average of 6.182 million, followed by Antena 3 with 6.03 million, ProSiebenSat.1 in Germany with 5.127 million and Italy’s Rai with 5.099 million.

James Pickles, editor of TV Sports Markets, said that: “The audiences reflect the continued pulling power of top sport for broadcasters and the growing strength of the Champions League brand. The strong male demographic brought in by events like the Champions League final help commercial broadcasters bring in high advertising revenue even in a depressed market.”

According to TV Sports Markets estimates Uefa, European football’s governing body, will bring in €200 million a year more in broadcast rights revenue for the Champions League next season when a new three-year cycle of broadcast rights contracts begins next season. Free-to-air broadcasters from the big five European markets will pay over 25 per cent of the overall total TV revenues.