German free-to-air TV channel Sat.1 "drew a market share of close to 17% for its broadcast of the NFL playoff games over the weekend," according to Alexander Krei of DWDL. The AFC Wild Card game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Pittsburgh Steelers obtained a peak market share of 16.9% and had an average share of 13.8%. On Sunday, pregame coverage drew a 6.7% market share starting at 10:15pm. Over the course of the night, the market share increased to 14.9% in the target demographic 14-49. The earlier Wild Card games on both days aired on sister channel ProSieben Maxx. The game between the Seattle Seahawks and the Minnesota Vikings had a market share of 5.9% and drew more than 600,000 viewers in the second half.
OPEN-AIR GAME: German regional broadcaster MDR recorded more than 300,000 viewers on average for its broadcast of the DEL2 outdoor hockey game. The outdoor game drew 290,000 viewers and had a 1.7% market share. The numbers mean that the second division drew better ratings than Germany's top-flight hockey league, the DEL, this weekend. The DEL game between the Iserlohn Roosters and the Cologne Sharks attracted 170,000 viewers on ServusTV. The game drew a market share of 0.6%, along with 0.4% in the target demo.
RECORD HIGHS: Pan-European broadcaster Eurosport recorded record ratings for its broadcasts of the '15-16 Four Hills Tournament. The channel drew an average of 530,000 viewers for the four events, which is more than ever before. This year's number represents an increase of about 50,000 viewers in comparison to '14-15. The third event from Innsbruck, Austria was the highest-rated event of the competition drawing an average of 650,000 viewers (DWDL, 1/11).
VOLLEYBALL: L’ÉQUIPE reported an average audience of 1.2 million viewers watched France lose to Russia 3-1 in the Olympic Volleyball Qualifying Tournament final on French channel L’Équipe 21. The channel attracted a peak audience of 1.7 million, a record for parent broadcaster TNT HD (L’ÉQUIPE, 1/11).
DAKAR IN FRANCE: In a separate piece, L’ÉQUIPE reported French TV channel France 4 has been broadcasting the 2016 Dakar Rally every day since the beginning of the competition on Jan. 3, and will continue through Jan. 16. The channel has attracted a daily average audience of 600,000 viewers, making up a 3.3% market share. Last year, the competition drew a daily average audience of 500,000, translating to a market share of 2.8%. Jan. 8 was the channel’s most viewed day with 700,000 viewers and a market share of 4%. France 3’s daily wrap-up broadcast of the race, the “Journal du Dakar,” attracts an average audience of 2.3 million viewers, making up a market share of 9.1% (L’ÉQUIPE, 1/11).
