Asian Champions League final 'will be most-watched sporting event in China this year'
Organisers claim second leg between Guangzhou and Seoul will set new record
Organisers claim that next week's second leg of the Asian Champions League final between Guangzhou Evergrande and FC Seoul is set to attract the highest sporting television audience in China this year.
Last week’s first leg at Seoul World Cup Stadium averaged 17.42 million viewers in China, said the Asian Football Confedration, claiming it as the second highest this year for a sports event.
CCTV-5 contributed 14.83 million viewers to the average live audience, with the match now the highest rated football audience on the channel this year and third highest overall for a sports event.
“Once again, as we have seen consistently throughout recent years, the popularity of the AFC Champions League continues to grow,” said Dato’ Alex Soosay, General Secretary of the Asian Football Confederation.
“We have witnessed significant growth in television audiences for the AFC Champions League this season and we expect this trend to continue.
“The TV audience figures reflect the desire for football fans in Asia to watch Asian club football in increasing numbers, and coupled with rising attendances, this highlights the impressive growth of the competition.”