The excitement around the Qatar Asian Cup 2023 is unparalleled to previous editions.
The all-time attendance record has already been broken, and the number of viewers is expected to be the highest ever. New countries joining the tournament, broadcasts to a variety of regions, and the geographical advantage of the tournament’s host city all add up to a winning combination.
According to the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), cumulative TV viewership during the group stage was 14% higher than the 2019 tournament, based on the number of trackable viewers. The number of views of group stage highlights on the AFC’s YouTube channel also surged by more than 120% over the entire 2019 tournament.
This was largely driven by the participation of countries with high soccer enthusiasm and large populations, with Vietnam reaching 200 million cumulative viewers during the group stage, an 84% increase from the previous tournament. Indonesia, returning to the Asian Cup after a 17-year absence since 2007, attracted 154 million viewers as it advanced to the round of 16 for the first time ever. Indonesia has the world’s fourth-largest population at approximately 277 million according to the United Nations.
Qatar secured broadcast rights to 160 territories, making this the most extensive and accessible tournament ever. This is the first time that all group stage matches have been shown live in markets outside the AFC region, including the United States, Europe, Latin America and Africa.
The growing number of Asian players playing in major European leagues such as the English Premier League (EPL) and Spanish Primera Liga also helped to drive interest in the tournament. These factors are expected to combine to overwhelm previous editions in the final tally.
In terms of attendance, the tournament is also set to break all-time records. It has already surpassed the all-time high of 1.06 million spectators for the round of 16 match between hosts Qatar and Palestine on March 30, and records are still being set.
The impact of the venue cannot be ignored. In Qatar, the stadiums were heavily populated by spectators from Arab countries that are geographically 카지노사이트 추천 close and share the same religion, culture, and language. Add to that the fact that the travel distance between stadiums was not long, and it was possible to reliably watch two games in one day.
The brackets were also interesting and drew crowds even more. The quarterfinals featured matchups between powerhouses like Iran vs Japan and Australia vs South Korea. It was especially interesting to see if Iran and South Korea could avenge their losses to their opponents in previous tournaments.
Add to that the fact that the finals will always feature a Middle Eastern team, and you have the makings of a huge draw.
The success of the tournament is not just about numbers, but about the quality of Asian soccer and its growing global influence. The passion of fans from different countries, the expanded global audience, and the quality of the matches show that the tournament will be more than just a sporting event, but a cultural exchange.