[Saba Sports News] French media reports that the World Cup semi-final between France and Spain drew an average of 20.24 million viewers on M6, hitting the channel’s highest viewing figure of the year. France lost 2-0 to Spain in this semi-final and failed to reach the final. Broadcast live on M6, the fixture claimed a 73.1% audience share, with an average audience of 20.24 million viewers — an annual record for the network. By comparison, the quarter-final between France and Morocco pulled in 16.09 million viewers. Even so, this semi-final’s viewing numbers fell short of the benchmark set at the 2022 World Cup semi-final, where France’s victory over Morocco attracted 20.69 million viewers. The 2018 World Cup semi-final, in which France beat Belgium, recorded an audience of 19.12 million.
The editor believes that despite the semi-final defeat, France’s World Cup campaign is not over yet. Les Bleus will contest the third-place play-off in Miami this Saturday evening, with the match again broadcast live on M6. This fixture will also mark Didier Deschamps’ final game in charge as France head coach.