Soccer nabs 79% share in Germany

ARD attracts 27.7 million viewers

By ERIK KIRSCHBAUM

BERLIN — German pubcaster ARD had another amazing haul with the Euro 2008 soccer championship on Thursday when an average 27.7 million — 78.7% market share — tuned in to watch Germany upset favorites Portugal in the quarter-finals. The peak was 30.7 million.

While the average was just fractionally behind the record 28 million set on Monday, the market share was nearly two points higher and set a ratings record for the tournament.

In the 14-49 target group, where German pubcasters often trail private webs RTL, ProSieben and Sat.1, ARD was even stronger with 81.7% watching. Those figures do not include the hundreds of thousands of Teuton viewers who watch the matches in increasingly large numbers in giant public viewing areas, restaurants and pubs.

The semi-final match on Wednesday will be aired by rival pubcaster ZDF, which is sharing broadcasting rights and costs with ARD.

The tournament held in Switzerland and Austria that runs to June 29 with the final in Vienna has been sweeping the streets in Germany clean, with the country essentially shut down even for matches involving other top favorites such as the Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Turkey and Croatia. Roads, shops, and plazas have been emptied out for the 90-minute matches.