Messi’s PSG debut brings in record Spanish audience

Madrid, Aug 30 (EFE).- A total audience of over 6.7 million spectators in Spain tuned in to watch Lionel Messi’s debut for Paris-Saint Germain, the largest-ever Spanish audience for a Ligue 1 match, media company Kosmos said Monday.

Messi came on not long after the hour mark in Sunday’s match as Neymar Jr. made way for the Argentine. PSG went on to beat home team Reims 0-2 thanks to a brace from Kylian Mbappe.

Messi’s first league appearance outside LaLiga was eagerly watched in Spain, where it was broadcast on two platforms, traditional channel Telecinco and Twitch via popular Spanish streamer Ibai Llanos, according to Kosmos and Enjoy Television, which own and sublicense the TV rights to Ligue 1 in Spain.

On Twitch, the game drew in an average of 343,000 spectators and more than 2 million unique Spanish viewers while Telecinco notched an average 2.21 million viewers.

“The total audience was an impressive 6.734.000,” Kosmos and Enjoy Television said in a statement.

Kosmos Holding was founded by Messi’s former Barcelona teammate Gerard Pique. EFE

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