Champions League gates on the rise
Friday, November 15, 2002
Article summary
Nearly 3.38m fans attended UEFA Champions League first group stage matches this season.
Article body
The number of spectators attending matches in this season's UEFA Champions League first group stage rose by nearly 300,000 compared with the 2001/02 campaign - and TV viewing figures in the major markets are also on the increase.
Over 3.3m fans
Figures released on Friday showed that a total of 3,378,442 fans attended games in the opening group stage of European club football's most prestigious competition. Match attendances for the first group stage in 2001/02 totalled 3,085,409.
Champions League entertainment
The increase in attendance figures for the 32-team first group stage reflects the entertainment which has been on offer so far this season. The cream of the world's football talent has been involved in various enthralling matches and thrilling battles for group supremacy since September.
Stadium percentages
In addition, the overall average percentage of each stadium filled for all of the first group stage matches rose to 79 per cent from 74 per cent in 2001/02 - thereby returning to the same percentage as for the 2000/01 season.
Dortmund boom
A number of the 32 clubs who took part in the first group stage enjoyed fuller stadiums this season. German side BV Borussia Dortmund's Westfalenstadion was filled to an overall average of 92 per cent of its capacity (83 per cent in 2001/02) for the team's three matches. FC Dynamo Kyiv's vain fight for a second group stage slot saw the Ukrainian club's stadium filled to an average of 83 per cent of its capacity (2001/02: 54 per cent). Although FC Bayern München failed to finish in the top two in Group G, attractive matches helped the Bavarian club fill its ground to an average of 69 per cent of its capacity (2001/02: 48 per cent).
TV audience rise
Meanwhile, the Champions League's continued appeal has brought an increase in the average TV audience per first group stage matchweek across the six major markets - France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain and the UK. For the first group stage, the average matchweek audience in the top markets went up to 43.5m, compared with 41.5m in 2001/02.
