How Many People Watch Tennis Annually?
Tennis is one of the most popular sports in the world. It’s played by millions of people all over the world, and is watched by an even greater number of spectators. But just how many people watch tennis annually?
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In this article, we’ll explore how many people watch tennis each year, including fans who watch live, on TV, and online. We’ll also take a look at the biggest tennis tournaments and how they draw in viewers from around the globe. Let’s get started.
Live Attendance of Tennis Events
Live attendance of tennis events is a great way to measure the popularity of the sport. The four Grand Slam tournaments – the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and US Open – draw in the most spectators each year.
According to the International Tennis Federation, the 2020 US Open drew in over 700,000 fans over the course of the tournament, with over 1.6 million people attending the Australian Open in 2020. The French Open and Wimbledon draw in a similar number of fans each year.
Television Viewers of Tennis Events
Television viewing is another way to measure the popularity of tennis. According to Nielsen Sports, a leader in sports audience measurement, the US Open saw an impressive 9.7 million viewers in 2020, with the Australian Open not far behind at 9.2 million viewers. Both tournaments easily outpaced the French Open and Wimbledon, which had 5.3 million and 4.2 million viewers respectively.
Online Viewers of Tennis Events
The rise of online streaming has opened up a whole new world of opportunities for fans to watch their favorite sports, including tennis. According to Nielsen Sports, the US Open saw a massive 5.2 million unique viewers on its digital platforms in 2020, an impressive increase of 40% from 2019.
The Australian Open saw a similar increase in digital viewership, with 4.6 million unique viewers in 2020, up from 3.2 million in 2019. The French Open and Wimbledon also saw increases in digital viewership in 2020, with 1.4 million and 1.1 million unique viewers respectively.
Tennis Viewership Around the Globe
Tennis is a global sport, and viewers from around the world tune in to watch the biggest tournaments. According to Nielsen Sports, the US Open had viewers from over 100 countries in 2020, while the Australian Open had viewers from over 90 countries.
The French Open and Wimbledon drew in viewers from over 70 and 60 countries respectively. The 2020 US Open also saw viewers from all five continents, with the highest viewership coming from the United States, France, China, Germany, and Australia.
Most Watched Tennis Matches of All Time
The biggest tennis matches of all time have drawn in millions of viewers from around the world. The most watched tennis match of all time is the 2008 Wimbledon final between Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, which drew in 17.3 million viewers in the United Kingdom alone.
The 2012 US Open final between Serena Williams and Victoria Azarenka drew in 8.9 million viewers in the United States, while the 2012 French Open final between Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic drew in 7.4 million viewers in France.
Tennis Viewership in the United States
Tennis is incredibly popular in the United States. According to Nielsen Sports, the US Open saw an impressive 9.7 million viewers in 2020, with the highest viewership coming from the states of New York, California, Texas, Florida, and Illinois.
The other Grand Slam tournaments also draw in a significant number of viewers in the United States. The 2020 Australian Open drew in 4.9 million viewers, while the 2020 French Open and Wimbledon drew in 4.1 million and 3.5 million viewers respectively.
Tennis Viewership in Other Countries
Tennis is also popular in other countries around the world, with the biggest tournaments drawing in millions of viewers. According to Nielsen Sports, the 2020 US Open had viewers from over 100 countries, with the highest viewership coming from the United Kingdom, France, Germany, China, and Australia.
The other Grand Slam tournaments also saw a significant number of viewers from around the world. The 2020 Australian Open had viewers from over 90 countries, while the French Open and Wimbledon had viewers from over 70 and 60 countries respectively.
Tennis Viewership on Social Media
Social media has revolutionized the way people watch sports, and tennis is no exception. According to Nielsen Sports, the 2020 US Open saw an impressive 2.3 billion social media impressions, while the Australian Open saw 1.9 billion impressions.
The other Grand Slam tournaments also saw a significant number of social media impressions in 2020, with the French Open and Wimbledon seeing 1.2 billion and 1 billion impressions respectively.
Total Number of People Who Watch Tennis Annually
So, how many people watch tennis annually? Well, according to Nielsen Sports, the four Grand Slam tournaments draw in an impressive total of over 35 million viewers each year, with the US Open, Australian Open, French Open, and Wimbledon drawing in 9.7 million, 9.2 million, 5.3 million, and 4.2 million viewers respectively.
On top of that, the 2020 US Open saw 5.2 million unique viewers on its digital platforms, while the other Grand Slam tournaments saw similar numbers of online viewers. And let’s not forget the millions of viewers who watched the biggest tennis matches of all time on television and online.
Conclusion
Tennis is one of the most popular sports in the world, and there’s no doubt that it draws in a huge number of viewers each year. According to Nielsen Sports, the four Grand Slam tournaments – the US Open, Australian Open, French Open, and Wimbledon – draw in over 35 million viewers each year.
On top of that, the biggest tennis matches of all time have drawn in millions of viewers from around the world. With the rise of online streaming, the number of people watching tennis is only going to increase in the future.