Most watched TV in Spain on 9/11 was a Real Madrid match

On September 11, **2001**, while the world held its breath over the attacks in the United States, in Spain the most watched television program was a football match.

## The ratings on D-Day

**September 11, 2001** was a date that seared into recent history. In Spain, as in the rest of the world, television became the main channel for trinc the devastating attacks in the **United States**. However, the audience data from that day reveals a curious paradox. The most watched program on television was not the coverage of the tragic events, but a football match. Specifically, the **Champions League** group stage match between **Roma** and **Real Madrid**.

This match, broadcast on **Segunda Cadena de Televisión Española (La 2)**, managed to capture the attention of a considerable part of the audience. The special programming dedicated to the 9/11 attacks was broadcast on **Primera Cadena (La 1)**, but it failed to surpass the pull of the sporting event.

## Football vs. tragedy

The comparison between the audience for a football match and the coverage of one of the largest attacks in recent Western history is striking. While it is true that **Antena 3** also aired a special program about the attacks, and that adding up all the audiences dedicated to the tragedy would reach a higher figure, the fact that a football match positioned itself as the most watched on a day of such magnitude is, to say the least, worthy of reflection.

This data speaks to the priorities and media consumption habits of Spanish society at that time. The capacity of sport to mobilize the masses, even in extraordinary circumstances, is evident. The news, picked up on social media, has generated surprise and debate about how television information was managed on such a crucial day.