120 million tune in for 2025 UEFA European Under-21 Championship, surpassing 2023 edition

The 2025 UEFA European Under-21 Championship came to a thrilling conclusion on Saturday with England defeating Germany 3-2 in extra time at the National Football Stadium in Bratislava, Slovakia.

More than 290,000 fans attended matches across the eight host cities, but the tournament's reach extended far beyond the stadiums, with a global cumulative TV audience of approximately 120 million – exceeding the 111 million viewers of the 2023 edition.

Domestically, audiences in the participating countries rose by 16% compared to 2023, while the top six markets – Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Italy and the Netherlands – saw a collective increase of 80%.

Guy-Laurent Epstein, UEFA marketing director, said: “We’re thrilled with the exceptional television viewership numbers for this year’s UEFA Under-21 Championship. This success was made possible not only by the high-quality matches and talent on the pitch but also by the outstanding collaboration with our broadcast and commercial partners. Thanks to their support, we delivered the excitement of the tournament to a global audience and achieved a record-breaking sponsorship programme – a true milestone for the competition.”

United Kingdom

As a result of free-to-air broadcaster Channel 4 airing all England matches compared to just the final in 2023, the tournament achieved a total cumulative audience of eight million in the United Kingdom.

The final had an audience of 2.9 million (26.6% share), the most watched Under-21 match ever in the United Kingdom.

Germany

The final attained six million viewers (33.6% share) and was up by 28% on the 2021 final, the last time Germany progressed that far (4.7 million / 16.8%).

Cumulatively, domestic audiences in Germany were 4.5 times higher than they were in 2023 thanks to their successful run to the final. Their six domestic matches achieved a cumulative audience of 23 million viewers, compared to 4.7 million in 2023 when they were eliminated in the group stage.

Record sponsorship for Under-21

The 2025 edition of the tournament was the most successful to date, setting new benchmarks in sponsorship revenue and attracting a record number of partners.

A total of nine global sponsors and seven national sponsors actively supported the tournament's promotion, including major brands such as adidas, BYD, Hisense, EA FC, Lidl and Pepsi.