BT Sport insist they are happy with their viewing figures for the Bundesliga after live football’s big return.
Television figures showed that a peak of 652,000 - average of 500,000 - tuned in to Borussia Dortmund’s win over Schalke on Saturday.
The game had been trumpeted as the grand return of football but actually only came in third in the top 20 of non-terrestrial shows on Saturday, behind Most Wanted - Lewis with 886,000 viewers and detective show Midsomer Murders got a peak of 836,000.
BT Sport’s second game on Saturday evening between Eintracht Frankfurt and Borussia Monchengladbach got 192,000.
The Bundesliga is the first major league to return and play football since lockdown began in March.
However, BT insiders say the figures are being viewed positively and the “total reach” including digital was 1.4m for Borussia Dortmund v Schalke.
They say it was comparable to Premier League figures and it racked up more than five times the previous best Bundesliga audience showing that the return was a hit in their eyes.
A BT spokesperson said: “It’s great to see strong viewing numbers across both digital and linear channels this weekend on BT Sport with the return of Bundesliga.
"While these are encouraging, there’s still much for us all to work through to ensure a successful return of the Premier League.”
There is already an ongoing row about TV rights and the Premier League with clubs facing a £762m bill if they do not complete the season and they are still facing up to having to pay £340m because it is no longer the same in terms of kick-off times and games.
The BBC could get five free-to-air games if the Government decide that all games must be televised.
Non-terrestrial TV figures
Top 20 Non-Terrestrial Programmes (000s, Share, Peak 000s) [Target Audience 000s, Share]
19:00 ITV3 - ITV3 Most Wanted - Lewis (774, 4.3% , 886) [398 ABC1 Adults 4.9%]
21:00 ITV3 - Midsomer Murders (759, 4.8% , 836) [344 ABC1 Adults 4.7%]
14:00 BT Sport 1 - Live Borussia Dortmund v Schalke (500, 5.8% , 652) [43 Kids 8.9%]
21:00 Quest - The Repair Shop (497, 2.9% , 633) [265 Men 3.4%]
19:15 ITV2 - Minions (493, 2.9% , 556) [123 16-34s 6.8%]
19:10 ITV2 - FYI Daily (477, 3.0% , 477) [124 16-34s 7.4%]
20:00 ITV2 - Sherlock Holmes (444, 2.3% , 513) [96 16-34s 4.3%]
21:10 ITV2 - Sherlock Holmes (436, 2.7% , 549) [72 16-34s 4.3%]
21:00 Film4 - Disturbia (432, 2.8% , 504) [22 16-34s 1.3%]
21:05 ITV2 - FYI Daily (430, 2.2% , 430) [93 16-34s 3.9%]
18:10 ITV2 - Minions (410, 2.8% , 531) [88 16-34s 5.7%]
17:20 BBC News - BBC News (365, 3.0% , 371) [144 ABC1 Adults 2.8%]
18:00 BBC News - BBC News (363, 2.6% , 374) [132 ABC1 Adults 2.2%]
17:00 ITV3 - Midsomer Murders (350, 2.6% , 582) [164 ABC1 Adults 2.9%]
21:00 E4 - Taken 2 (344, 2.1% , 457) [47 16-34s 2.7%]
11:30 BBC News - Dateline London (320, 5.0% , 371) [159 ABC1 Adults 6.2%]
22:05 5STAR - John Wick (314, 2.3% , 369)
18:45 Film4 - Cowboys & Aliens (307, 1.7% , 428) [25 16-34s 1.3%]
23:10 ITV2 - Family Guy (305, 3.4% , 328) [131 16-34s 12.5%]
21:00 BBC 4 - State of Happiness (305, 1.7% , 336) [222 ABC1 Adults 2.7%]
17:30 BBC News - Newsbeat Documentaries (301, 2.3% , 365) [115 ABC1 Adults 2.1%]
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