Barcelona pip Real Madrid in tightly fought La Liga viewership

While the spotlight often falls on goals, points, and league positions, the first half of the La Liga season has also delivered a fascinating contest away from the pitch.

Television figures now show that the race between Barcelona and Real Madrid extends far beyond footballing results, with audience attention split almost perfectly between Spain’s two biggest clubs.

Data released by Barlovento Comunicacion (h/t AS) paints a clear picture of this rivalry.

As such, Barcelona currently lead the television audience rankings, but only by the narrowest possible margin.

On an average matchday, Barça games attract 1.658 million viewers, edging Real Madrid’s 1.656 million by just 2,000 people.

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There is, however, a sharp drop once the top two are removed from the equation.

Atletico Madrid rank third, yet their average audience of 965,000 shows the distance separating them from the duopoly that continues to dominate Spanish football viewership.

Beyond the usual giants, the numbers offer some unexpected insights, as Valencia have become one of the most watched sides in the league.

In terms of television interest, they now sit sixth overall, with an average of 661,000 viewers per matchday.

Only Betis, with 743,000 viewers, and Athletic Club, with 665,000, rank higher outside the top three.

Furthermore, Cumulative audience figures reinforce the same pattern, where Barcelona lead again with 7.8 million unique viewers, having tuned in to at least one of their matches so far this season.

Real Madrid follow closely with 7.6 million, confirming that both clubs continue to attract mass attention regardless of opponent or competition.

When it comes to individual fixtures, one match remains untouchable. El Clasico stands alone as La Liga’s biggest television event, drawing 2.9 million unique viewers in the clash won by Real Madrid.

Barcelona’s meeting with Atletico reached 2.3 million, while Madrid’s away trips to Alaves and Elche also featured among the season’s most-watched games.

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