2018 World Cup in Russia: 58.88 million Chinese viewers watch the opening ceremony and opening match

58.88 million Chinese (cumulative audience) watched the opening ceremony of the 2018 World Cup and the opening match, Russia - Saudi Arabia (5-0, Group A), live from the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow (RUS), between 22:00 and 01:00 Beijing time, according to data from CSM Media Research, a joint venture between CTR Market Research and Kantar Media forwarded to News Tank Football on 14/06/2018.

This audience was 2.88 times higher than that recorded in China four years earlier, on the first day of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, but the kick-off time of the opening match (Brazil - Croatia, 3- 1, on 12/06/2014, at the Corinthians Arena, Sao Paulo), was 17:00 local time which was 04:00 (D+1) in China.

The Chinese team has only participated in one World Cup finals, the 2002 edition co-organised by Japan and South Korea. Results: three defeats versus Costa Rica (0-2), Brazil (0-4) and Turkey (0-3), nine goals conceded and zero scored.

• In France, Russia - Saudi Arabia drew an average of 3.98 million viewers on the free and private TV channel TF1, kick-off at 17:00 CET Central European Time …