In '17, football, winter sports and local competitions "have gathered large audiences in front of TV screens around the world," according to BROADBAND TV NEWS. While TV is "increasingly challenged by non-linear ways of consumption," sports and live TV are "still a perfect match." EurodataTV Worldwide Sports Dir Yassine Berhoun said, "In 2017 again, a number of sports programs have gathered significant audiences in spite of the transfer of rights to pay-TV." In the 45 countries studied, "football accounts for a large part" of the sports programming on "generalist channels: 27% on average." It amounts to more than 70% in Portugal and Russia. The performances in 2018 World Cup qualifiers "also give us a clue" to measure fans' "eagerness to support their teams." In Belgium, for instance, all seven matches of the Red Devils’ campaign that took place between Sept. '16 and June are part of the 10 best sports audiences. Key local sports also mobilize the public. In the U.S., Game 7 of the 2016 World Series "became the most watched baseball game in 25 years:" on average, 40 million viewers watched the Chicago Cubs break their 108-year curse on FOX (for a 36.5% market share). That game "managed to make it" to fifth place of the top 10 sports broadcasts of the season in a ranking "usually trusted" by American football (BROADBAND TV NEWS, 12/7).
