While the celebration continues in the capital, the television ratings for the latest European triumph tell a slightly different story. Despite securing a historic back-to-back title, PSG did not reach the same heights in viewership as they did during their dominant 5-0 victory over Inter Milan last season. A total of 9.1 million fans tuned in to watch the clash with Arsenal, a notable dip from the 11.5 million average recorded during their first continental coronation.
The drop in numbers was particularly evident on free-to-air television. This year, 6.2 million viewers watched the final on M6, which saw a peak of 13.5 million during the closing stages of the match. Meanwhile, Canal+ captured an audience of 2.9 million. Compared to last season, the primary free-to-air broadcaster lost over 2 million viewers, a significant shift despite the high stakes of the game for Luis Enrique and his squad.
The Roland-Garros factor and Moïse Kouame
This decline in football viewership can be largely attributed to a scheduling conflict on the tennis courts of Paris. The third-round match of the young sensation Moïse Kouame at Roland-Garros overlapped with the Champions League final, forcing sports fans to choose between two major events.
The 17-year-old talent from Sarcelles had hoped to play in the early rotation on the Suzanne-Lenglen court to catch his favorite football club in action. However, his match against Alejandro Tabilo did not begin until 4:15 PM, meaning he was still battling on the clay when PSG and Arsenal kicked off at 6:00 PM. The rising star of French tennis managed to draw 3 million viewers to his match, inevitably pulling a portion of the audience away from the football final during its opening half.
Following his four-set defeat to the Chilean player (6-4, 3-6, 4-6, 6-7[9-11]), Moïse Kouame appeared in the press room still wearing a PSG jersey. “I managed to see the penalty shootout; I think I saw the most stressful part!” he remarked with a smile. Despite his exit from the tournament, the young player found solace in the victory of the Parisians, calling it a “small consolation” for his own loss on the court.
