this year’s final against arsenal may have ended in a triumphant 2-0 win for psg, but the television ratings did not match the club’s previous record-breaking performance. while last season’s 5-0 demolition of inter milan captivated 11.5 million viewers, saturday’s clash with arsenal attracted just 6.2 million on m6, peaking at 13.5 million during the final whistle. canal+ contributed an additional 2.9 million viewers. combined, the two networks tallied over 2 million fewer viewers than the previous year’s final.

the drop in viewership can be attributed to a scheduling clash with moïse kouamé’s third-round match at the french open. the young tennis prodigy’s match began at 4:15 pm, just as the champions league final kicked off at 6:00 pm. despite the timing, kouamé still managed to draw 3 million viewers to his own match, though many likely switched channels at the start of psg’s game.

a tough choice between tennis and football

for moïse kouamé, the dilemma was clear: prioritize his own career-defining tennis match or tune in to watch his beloved psg vie for another champions league trophy. the french open’s organizers made the call for him, scheduling his match against alejandro tabilo to start just minutes before the football final. even so, the 17-year-old tennis sensation managed to capture a solid 3 million viewers, though ratings inevitably dipped as the psg-arsenal match commenced.

“i caught the penalty shootout—i saw the worst moment, i think!” kouamé joked in his post-match press conference, wearing a psg jersey despite his loss in four tight sets (6-4, 3-6, 4-6, 6-7[9-11]). “it’s a small consolation for a lost match,” he added with a smile, clearly disappointed but maintaining his good humor.