Channel 4’s coverage of the US Open Final featuring Emma Raducanu and Leylah Fernandez drew a peak audience of 9.2 million.
The figure is higher than Wimbledon’s highest peak of 7.9 million for the BBC earlier this year. With a huge 18.0% share across the day, Channel 4 secured its best day since the 2012 London Paralympics.
Channel 4’s Chief Content Officer Ian Katz said: “We’re delighted that Channel 4, in partnership with Amazon Prime Video, could enable more than 9 million people to enjoy one of the most thrilling and historic nights of British sport in a generation. Moments like this are what Channel 4 was made for – it’s a perfect example of the kind of nimble, uncommercial, but profoundly valuable public service broadcasting that a purpose- driven Channel 4 can deliver.”
The last-minute deal with Amazon Prime Video came after the 18 year-old British qualifier proceeded to the final without dropping a set. Channel 4 took Amazon’s coverage as a whole – complete with the parcels to showbiz’s company’s outsize on-screen logo and was otherwise commercial free.
“We didn’t know we’d secured the deal until late on Friday night and so many people have gone above and beyond to make it happen,” said Katz. “But Channel 4 is all about finding ways to let our viewers share great national moments, whether it’s Bake Off or big sporting events like the cricket World Cup final or US Open final.”
Channel 4 won the slot across the whole coverage against the Last Night of the Proms on BBC One.
