France vs Senegal draws nearly 14 million viewers on M6
The French national team's World Cup opener against Senegal (3-1) became the most-watched program of the year in France.
Avec 58 buts, après son doublé contre le Sénégal, Kylian Mbappé est désormais le meilleur buteur de l'histoire des Bleus. (S. Mantey/L'Équipe)
France's opening match of the World Cup against Senegal (3-1) proved to be a massive television event. According to Médiamétrie, the game drew an average of 13.99 million viewers on M6, capturing a 61.4% audience share.
This performance makes the match the most-watched program of the year in France so far. Interest in the opener significantly outperformed France's pre-tournament preparation matches, which drew 5.05 million for the game against Northern Ireland and 5.20 million for the clash with Ivory Coast.
The viewership figures also surpassed the start of France's previous World Cup campaigns. The 2022 opener against Australia in Qatar drew 12.53 million, and the current figures represent the highest audience for a French national team opening match since the 2014 World Cup, when the game against Honduras attracted 15.8 million viewers.