BBC1's coverage of Germany's 1-0 win over Portugal in the Euro 2012 on Saturday "provided the biggest audience" of the tournament's first weekend, attracting more than 8 million viewers during the live match broadcast, according to Jason Deans of the London GUARDIAN. ITV1 ranked second and third place in the football ratings for Sunday night's coverage of Ireland vs. Croatia and Spain vs. Italy, "with both enjoying live match average audiences" of more than 7 million viewers. Germany's victory was the "most watched" Euro 2012 match of the first three days of the tournament on BBC1, with live match coverage averaging 8.3 million viewers and a 37.3% audience share over two hours from 7:45pm GMT. ITV1's full coverage averaged 6.7 million and 26.7% between 7:15-10pm GMT (GUARDIAN, 6/11). In L.A., Scott Roxborough noted Europe's "biggest countries provided the biggest audiences," led by Germany, which peaked with 22.3 million, or 69%, of the audience watching Germany beat Portugal. German pubcaster organization ARD "drew an impressive" 9.3 million viewers in the 14-49 demographic for a 74% share. In addition, 14.4 million viewers, a 71% share, tuned in to Italian free and pay-TV channels to watch the Azzurri squad draw 1-1 with defending European and world champion Spain on Sunday night. In Spain, Telecinco's airing of the match earned a 60% share with 10.2 million viewers tuning in (HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, 6/11).
IN THE U.S.: While final ratings were not available, preliminary overnight ratings for ESPN’s Euro 2012 coverage shows that Saturday’s Netherlands-Denmark match from 11:45am-2:00pm ET earned 1.2 overnight, while Germany-Portugal from 2:30pm-5:00pm ET earned a 1.3 overnight. On Sunday, Spain-Italy from 11:45am-2:00pm earned a 1.7 overnight, while Ireland-Croatia from 2:30pm-5:00pm earned a 1.2 overnight (SBD Global).
DETAILS ON THE JOB: In London, Charles Sale wrote BBC TV football pundit Alan Hansen "had to take a big" pay cut in his new BBC contract, "but he still has special pundit status judging by his occupying the prime analyst's chair" next to presenter Gary Lineker for the Germany vs. Portugal game on Saturday. Tottenham Hotspur Manager Harry Redknapp "was sitting there at the start of BBC's double-header match coverage," but he had to shuffle down the line to make way for Hansen (DAILY MAIL, 6/10).
CLOSE COVERAGE: Meanwhile, Sale noted that ITV's open-air studio position "above Warsaw's main square is proving a high-risk strategy with the amount of raucous partying going on around them." Distractions during Saturday's highlights show "included a band playing and the midnight bell chiming" (DAILY MAIL, 6/10).
