Italvolley, boom on television for World Cup final

The winning of the fifth rainbow title yesterday by Ferdinando De Giorgi’s men’s national team was not just a sporting triumph. The final of the World Championships, held yesterday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City, Philippines, and which saw Simone Giannelli and teammates take on and overcome Gianlorenzo Blengini’s Bulgaria 3-1 (25-21, 25-17, 17-25, 25-10), was in fact also a rich success in terms of TV ratings.

A whopping 3,350,000 viewers, with 25.8 percent share, watched the match live on Rai2 and pushed the Azzurri from home to this new and historic triumph. The peak audience was recorded around 1:55 p.m. with 4,162,000 connected fans (30 percent share). Interest in World Champion Italy, did not stop at the final point grounded by Simone Anzani; the post-match also recorded extraordinary and significant numbers with 2,546,000 viewers and 20.2% share.

After the triumph of the women’s national team at the World Championships in Thailand, and after this latest rainbow title obtained by the men’s national team in the Philippines, volleyball continued to unite all Italians, who with their enthusiasm were leading actors, albeit from afar, in a new and indelible page of sport.