Emma Raducanu’s Grand Slam title win helped the UK commercial broadcaster Channel 4 gain around 9.2 million viewers for a single match.
A late deal was inked between Channel 4 and Amazon Prime Video to stream the finals on 11th September and allowing the British fans to watch Raducanu’s 6-4, 6-3 win against the Canadian Leylah Fernandez on free-to-air (FTA) television.
Earlier this summer, BBC’s Wimbledon coverage observed around 7.9m viewers. It can be said that the final was close enough with a massive viewership of 7.4m viewers.
The US Open women’s final recorded 40 per cent viewers from the UK TV, around 48% audience were from the age group of 16 to 34-year-olds.
It was also observed by Channel 4 that around 12.6 million viewers streamed the match for at least three minutes.
Since Amazon Prime Video attained the US Open broadcast rights in 2018, Raducanu’s historic victory was also the most-watched tennis match.
“We’re so delighted that Channel 4, in partnership with Prime Video, could enable more than nine million people to enjoy one of the most thrilling and historic nights of British sport in a generation”, said Ian Katz, Channel 4’s chief content officer.
“Moments like this are what Channel 4 was made for – it’s a perfect example of the kind of nimble, uncommercial, but profoundly valuable public service broadcasting that a purpose-driven Channel 4 can deliver.”
Raducanu created history as she became the only British woman to win a Grand Slam tennis title in 44 years.