A low point in the regular viewing figures: 3.8 million people saw on Tuesdayhow the Dutch national team defeated host country Qatar at the World Cup.Never before in this century have so few people watched the group matches ofOrange in a final tournament as now.
Long before national coach Louis van Gaal’s team had taken even one step onthe field, calls were made for a boycott of this World Cup. The human rightsviolations in Qatar and the hundreds of deaths caused by the construction ofthe stadiums have sparked outrage worldwide. Media agency GroupM analyzed theviewing figures of Stichting KijkOnderzoek from 2000 and draws the conclusion:fewer people have been watching Oranje until now.
The question why only 3.8 million people watched the third group match ofOrange is difficult to answer. “It seems to be a combination of the time (4p.m., ed.) and the unattractiveness of the match. The tumult surrounding theWorld Cup and the fact that the Netherlands played against Qatar may also playa role,” says media specialist Jim Leeuw of GroupM. It is also the first timethat a World Cup football will be held in November instead of June. It isunclear to what extent this affects the viewing figures.
When the Netherlands played afternoon matches during the 2010 World Cup, theywere also watched less than average. For example, on Monday 14 June 2010 at1.30 pm ‘only’ 4.2 million people watched the opening match against Denmark.The next game against Japan attracted more viewers at the same time: 5.7million. But that game was played on Saturday.
De kijkcijfers van Oranjewedstrijden tijdens de WK’s sinds 2010
- WK 2010 Nederland-Denemarken: 4,2 miljoen kijkers * WK 2010 Nederland-Japan: 5,7 miljoen kijkers * WK 2010 Nederland-Kameroen: 7,2 miljoen kijkers * WK 2014 Nederland-Spanje: 7,2 miljoen kijkers * WK 2014 Nederland-Australië: 7,9 miljoen kijkers * WK 2014 Nederland-Chili: 8,1 miljoen kijkers * WK 2022 Nederland-Senegal: 4,3 miljoen kijkers * WK 2022 Nederland-Ecuador: 4,4 miljoen kijkers * WK 2022 Nederland-Qatar: 3,8 miljoen kijkers
As Orange progresses, more people watch
According to Leeuw, more people might start watching as the Orange advances inthe tournament. “The viewing figures for 2010 also show that. The matchesbetween the Netherlands and Slovakia and the Netherlands and Brazil wereplayed on a weekday at 4 p.m. and were watched by six and seven million peoplerespectively.”
A comparison between the various World Cups and European Championships showsthat the number of viewers was fairly stable between 2000 and 2014. Thetournaments in which the Netherlands advanced, attracted more viewers onaverage. “The European Championship of 2020 (in the summer of 2021, ed.) Wasalready viewed significantly less well, with an average of only 5.5 millionviewers, while the time and days were favorable at the time. Corona andlockdowns may have played a role. And it was also seven years ago that theNetherlands participated in a final tournament.”
Leeuw sees the number of viewers this World Cup still attract. “I don’t expectmuch from next Saturday’s match against the United States. If there is aquarter-final against Argentina, it will also be good for six to seven millionviewers,” he expects.
What is striking, according to GroupM, is that just as many over-60s watchthis World Cup as previous editions. “It is the young people who fail.Especially people aged forty or younger watch this World Cup less. Andfootball fans watch in increasingly smaller groups.”
The Orange squad will play against the United States in the eighth finals onSaturday at 4 p.m. That match can be seen live on NPO1. The big viewing eventin the Johan Cruijff ArenA is cancelled: there were not enough people