Latest news with #LeeSears
Daily Mail
14 hours ago
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Chelsea Club World Cup opener TV figures released after stadium for win over LAFC was less than a third full
The viewing figures for Chelsea 's Club World Cup opener against MLS side LAFC have now been released, and it makes for somewhat more encouraging reading than the in-ground attendance numbers. The Blues got their campaign in the United States up and running with a fairly routine 2-0 win over LAFC - featuring former Premier League regulars Olivier Giroud and Hugo Lloris. Pedro Neto scored a stunning opener in the first half, before Enzo Fernandez made sure of the points and put away any hopes of a fight back late on. Yet one of the biggest talking points from the game was the fact that the 71,000-seater Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, appeared to be less than half full, in a bitter blow to FIFA. However, with every single game shown for free on DAZN, and Channel 5 having the rights to select fixtures, Monday night's victory for the Blues was at least better received back home. Figures published now show that there was an average audience of 1.4million for the game on 5, with 283,000 also tuning in for Boca Juniors draw with Benfica, which kicked off three hours later at 11pm. As such, president of Paramount International Advertising Sales Lee Sears has described the reception of the Blues match as 'a standout moment'. 'Last night's FIFA Club World Cup match was a standout moment for 5, driving big numbers including new and hard to reach younger audiences to the channel,' Sears stated. 'It's a clear example of how premium live sport can outperform our channel average and deliver real value to both viewers and advertisers.' With Atlanta United's home ground able to host over 70,000 fans, it was even more apparent from the broadcast pictures how few had bought tickets for the game. LAFC had been backed by strong and vocal support for the game, though the cross-country trip to Georgia is naturally somewhat more forgiving than the trip across the Atlantic for Chelsea fans. Reports suggest only 22,127 fans were actually at the game, which is being staged after the end of the European season. Ticket prices were even slashed ahead of kick-off in a bid to entice football fans into attending, but seemingly to no avail. While the game in Atlanta saw a surprising number of empty seats, Boca Juniors' clash with Benfica looked to almost be a home game for the Argentinian side, with the stands practically bouncing with supporters in encouraging scenes for FIFA. In the wake of Monday evening's fixtures, though, LaLiga president Javier Tebas launched a scathing attack on the competition, claiming he now aims to 'eliminate' future Club World Cups. Speaking at a LaLiga event, Tebas said: 'My goal is to ensure there are no more Club World Cups, that's very clear.' Asked if improvements could be made for future editions, he said there were 'no dates' in the footballing calendar left and the competition should be 'eliminated'. 'There are no dates,' the 62-year-old said. 'There's no need for yet another competition that moves money to a sector of clubs and players and comes from somewhere. 'There's no more money here; we have to maintain the ecosystem and eliminate it. 'Keep it as it was before, which was a weekend. There's no way, neither in terms of dates, nor economics, nor maintaining the sustainability of football.' The LaLiga president admitted he had watched 25 minutes of Chelsea's 2-0 win over Los Angeles but criticised the fixture for looking like 'a preseason friendly', adding 'I didn't see any intensity'.
The Sun
15 hours ago
- Sport
- The Sun
Chelsea vs LAFC viewing figures revealed with Club World Cup match hailed as a ‘standout moment for Channel 5'
CHELSEA's Club World Cup clash with LAFC has been hailed as a "standout moment for Channel 5". The Blues romped to a 2-0 win in their opening game of the tournament. 1 Pedro Neto netted a fantastic opener before Enzo Fernandez made sure of the win in the second half. The viewership of the match was highly rated too, as Channel 5 's audience peaked at 1.6MILLION viewers. This number was a staggering 15 per cent share of the viewing audience in the UK. President of Paramount International Advertising Sales Lee Sears hailed the achievement of Channel 5. He insisted that sport can help improve the broadcaster's average viewership. Sears also highlighted the impact that the match had in terms of grasping the attention of the younger generation. This was evident as the 16-34 demographic peaked at 34 per cent of the viewership. Sears said: "Last night's Fifa Club World Cup match was a standout moment for 5. JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS "Driving big numbers, including new and hard-to-reach younger audiences to the channel. "It's a clear example of how premium live sport can outperform our channel average and deliver real value to both viewers and advertisers." Channel 5 is broadcasting 23 of the 63 matches from the Club World Cup in the US. The broadcaster agreed the deal with DAZN - which will exclusively show the remaining 40 matches for free.
The Irish Sun
15 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Chelsea vs LAFC viewing figures revealed with Club World Cup match hailed as a ‘standout moment for Channel 5'
CHELSEA's Club World Cup clash with LAFC has been hailed as a "standout moment for Channel 5". The 1 Chelsea's clash with LAFC was watched by a staggering 1.6million people Credit: AFP The viewership of the match was highly rated too, as Channel 5's audience peaked at 1.6MILLION viewers. This number was a staggering 15 per cent share of the viewing audience in the UK. President of Paramount International Advertising Sales Lee Sears hailed the achievement of Channel 5. He insisted that sport can help improve the broadcaster's average viewership. Sears also highlighted the impact that the match had in terms of grasping the attention of the younger generation. This was evident as the 16-34 demographic peaked at 34 per cent of the viewership. Sears said: "Last night's Fifa Club World Cup match was a standout moment for 5. Most read in Football JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS "Driving big numbers, including new and hard-to-reach younger audiences to the channel. "It's a clear example of how premium live sport can outperform our channel average and deliver real value to both viewers and advertisers." Incredible ref cam footage shows moment Chelsea star Pedro Neto sent opponent 'back to LA and into next MLS season' Channel 5 is broadcasting 23 of the 63 matches from the Club World Cup in the US. The broadcaster agreed the deal with DAZN - which will exclusively show the remaining 40 matches for free. Club World Cup 2025 Guide SOME of the world's biggest clubs are heading Stateside for a MAMMOTH Club World Cup. Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid, Man City, and Inter Miami are among the 32 teams taking part in the tournament, which runs from June 14 to July 13. Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland, Ousmane Dembele, Cole Palmer and Harry Kane will be showing their skills to packed crowds across the US. Los Blancos are favourites to lift the trophy in New York but will face stiff competition from around the globe. Here's everything you need to know ahead of the tournament... INFO Everything you need to know ahead of the Club World Cup LATEST NEWS & FEATURES
Daily Mirror
16 hours ago
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
TV figures for Chelsea's Club World Cup opener after FIFA left red faced
Chelsea got their Club World Cup campaign off to a winning start against Los Angeles FC in Atlanta but the attendance for the match was far lower than some might have wanted Chelsea's Club World Cup match against Los Angeles FC left organisers embarrassed with its low attendance. Television viewing figures were a little more impressive, though, with the Blues' win watched by a significant number of viewers on Channel 5. The Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta was the setting for the group stage opener, but the 71,000-seater ground was less than half full. Just 22,127 fans were in place for the game, with ticket prices having been slashed in the lead-up. On TV, though, there was some more interest. Terrestrial broadcaster 5 has the rights to a number of games across the tournament, with DAZN showing every fixture for free Figures for Monday's games have now been released, with an average of 1.4million watching the Blues on 5 and an average of 283,000 taking in Boca Juniors vs Benfica. The second of those matches didn't get underway until 11pm UK time. 'Last night's FIFA Club World Cup match was a standout moment for 5, driving big numbers including new and hard to reach younger audiences to the channel," Lee Sears, President of Paramount International Advertising Sales, said of the numbers. "It's a clear example of how premium live sport can outperform our channel average and deliver real value to both viewers and advertisers.' Chelsea didn't know the identity of their first opponents until the end of May. Club Leon were kicked out of the tournament over multi-club ownership concerns, with LAFC winning a play-off to take their place. A goal in each half was enough for Enzo Maresca's side to start with three points. Pedro Neto broke the deadlock before half-time before debutant Liam Delap played a part in Enzo Fernandez's clincher. "The team did a really good job," Neto said after the win. "We came here and did a good job and we are really happy. I'm always focused on myself and doing my job, and I'm here to help the team." On new signing Delap, he added: "I have trained with him a few times, and he's a guy who is in the team to help and we're really delighted he's here with us. He has shown the character he has." Chelsea's next Club World Cup match comes on Friday, with Flamengo their opponents in Philadelphia. The Brazilian side also began with a 2-0 win, with Giorgian de Arrascaeta and Luiz Araujo on target as they beat Tunisian side Esperance. Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Daily Mirror
23-04-2025
- Business
- Daily Mirror
Club World Cup to be live on free-to-air TV as Channel 5 and DAZN strike deal
Chelsea and Manchester City fans may be able to watch their team compete in the FIFA Club World Cup on Channel 5 this summer after they struck a new deal with DAZN Channel 5 will televise more than a third of the Club World Cup games in the UK this summer after reaching a sublicensing deal with DAZN. The agreement comes on the heels of DAZN's move to acquire the rights for the lucrative tournament, which will take place in the United States. Chelsea and Manchester City will represent the Premier League when the competition kicks off in early June. And it has now emerged that fans in the UK will be able to watch a host of games via the free-to-air broadcaster, including four last-16 ties, two quarter-finals, one semi-final and the showpiece final. As revealed by The Guardian, Channel 5 will televise 23 of the 63 games alongside DAZN, who will be the exclusive broadcaster for the remaining 40. Channel 5 will take DAZN's coverage, rather than use its own staff for the tournament. As well as broadcasting a host of matches from the latter stages of the tournament, Channel 5 will also televise 15 group matches. DAZN paid around $1billion (£787m) to secure global rights for the competition back in February. It emerged last month that the winner of the competition could stand to bank a staggering $125m (£96.8m) in prize money, though all 32 clubs will be handsomely compensated for taking part. A sum of $525m (£406.8) will be divided between the clubs, with the exact split determined by sporting and commercial criteria, meaning Chelsea and Manchester City would likely bank a larger slice of said pot than some of the other teams competing. Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain and Lionel Messi's Inter Miami are among the other teams participating. The tournament runs from 14 June to 13 July. 'We're delighted to be able to have agreed this fantastic partnership with DAZN to expand free-to-air coverage of the Fifa Club World Cup, live on 5,' Paramount's president of international ad sales, Lee Sears, told the Guardian after helping to broker the deal. 'It's going to be one of the sporting events of the summer with most of the matches played in the evening peak time and 32 of the world 's biggest clubs involved.'
