CBS and Paramount+ break Champions League records

The return of the Champions League and Europa League in 2023 paid major dividends for CBS and its streaming platform, Paramount+, with some records broken. There were a number of major games in both competitions. Namely, those were the Real Madrid game at Liverpool and Manchester City’s draw with RB Leipzig. In the Europa League, Manchester United hosted FC Barcelona.

Each of those games finished towards the top of TV and streaming viewership in some regard.

The Leipzig-City game on Wednesday was on CBS, and it reached 892,000 viewers. That is the second-most viewers for a round of 16 Champions League game on US TV. Only the Real Madrid victory at Anfield could usurp that game in terms of round of 16 games on US TV. That game had 946,000 viewers. That game holds the record for round of 16 games on US TV.

In terms of streaming, this Real Madrid game at Liverpool set a record for Paramount+. It was the most-streamed round of 16 game on CBS’s paid-streaming service.

Moreover, the Europa League second leg between Manchester United and Barcelona was the most-streamed Europa League match on Paramount+. Manchester United advanced, likely bringing more eyes to the future knockout stages of the Europa League.

Champions League records a good sign for CBS

CBS and Paramount+ will welcome the viewership. On one hand, it demonstrates the popularity of the UEFA club competitions. Yet, more or less, this was already known. CBS averaged just shy of 3 million viewers on TV during this past season’s Champions League Final.

However, the fact that earlier ties in the Champions League can muster such strong numbers shows what CBS is capable of. The studio show goes a long way for that. On Twitter alone, the studio show’s Mixer section had 235,000 views.

The Champions League and Europa League return to CBS’s outlets on March 7.

PHOTO: IMAGO / Noah Wedel