The eighth final between the Netherlands and the US at the World Cup in Qatar was watched by almost 4.8 million people. This makes the match the best-watched program on Saturday evening, according to figures from Stichting Kijkonderzoek (SKO).
Compared to the eighth finals during recent World Cups in 2014 and 2010, the game between the US and the Netherlands was viewed less closely. When the Netherlands played against Mexico in 2014, 8 million people watched. The eighth final of the Netherlands-Slovakia in 2010 attracted 6 million viewers.
Viewing figures World Cup matches Orange since 2010
- World Cup 2010 Netherlands-Denmark: 4.2 million viewers
- World Cup 2010 Netherlands-Japan: 5.7 million viewers
- World Cup 2010 Netherlands-Cameroon: 7.2 million viewers
- World Cup 2014 Netherlands-Spain: 7.2 million viewers
- World Cup 2014 Netherlands-Australia: 7.9 million viewers
- World Cup 2014 Netherlands-Chile: 8.1 million viewers
- World Cup 2022 Netherlands-Senegal: 4.3 million viewers
- World Cup 2022 Netherlands-Ecuador: 4.4 million viewers
- World Cup 2022 Netherlands-Qatar: 3.8 million viewers
The viewing figures of the group matches of Orange have been lower in recent weeks than is usually the case with major tournaments in which the Netherlands participates. But a spokesperson for SKO insists that the figures are very difficult to compare for many reasons. “It is the first time that a major football tournament takes place in the winter, so we don’t have a good frame of reference in that regard,” she explains.
Moreover, the calculation of SKO only concerns people who watch programs at home. In recent years, according to the foundation, fewer people watch TV at home. In the course of 2023, the foundation will introduce a new system to also include viewers outside the home.
However, the spokesperson can say that the market share of the number of viewers who watch the Orange matches at 88 percent is almost equal to the market share that the World Cup matches achieved in 2014 and 2010.
The best-watched Orange match in the past quarter century was the semi-final between the Netherlands and Argentina in 2014. On July 9 of that year, more than 9 million Dutch people watched this.
