Grand Final’s ‘massive’ global TV audience

Hyundai A-League head Damien de Bohun has endorsed the “massive” interest in the Grand Final after a record audience tuned into Sunday’s decider between Melbourne Victory and Sydney FC.

Melbourne Victory’s clinical 3-0 win over Sydney FC in the Season 10 decider was estimated to have attracted a global audience of over a quarter of a billion fans.

MATCH REPORT: Melbourne Victory v Sydney FC

On Australian TV screens, around 650,000 tuned in to the clash of the Hyundai A-League titans. 

It’s more positive news for the league with some of Europe’s biggest clubs including Real Madrid, Chelsea and Liverpool set to tour Australia over the off-season to play exhibition matches.

“The global audience continues to grow, some 54 countries took the game live and another 50-odd countries on delay,” said de Bohun.

“Somewhere between 250 and 300 million people would have watched the Hyundai A-League Grand Final which is a massive result for us.”

Victory players celebrate their Hyundai A-League Grand Final triumph.

Almost 30,000 people attended the sold-out Grand Final at the boutique venue AAMI Park, which according to De Bohun created “an atmosphere unparalleled in Australian sport”. 

Despite that, agreements are now in place to ensure the Grand Final is played at a bigger venue in Melbourne if the city was to host another season decider. 

One such venue in Melbourne is the 55,000 seat Etihad Stadium, which was used for an AFL game on Sunday that attracted a crowd of 18,000. 

“The sport has grown so much, the code has grown so much that our biggest games, our marquee matches need to be played on the biggest stages,” de Bohun said.

“We’ll work with the governments and the stadiums to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”