Millions of viewers around the world watched this year’s UEFA Champions League final between Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal on Saturday evening, culminating in extra time and a dramatic penalty shootout. The thrilling match took place at Puskás Aréna in Budapest, and as the international host broadcaster, RTL Hungary was responsible not only for serving Hungarian audiences on RTL and RTL+, but also for producing the international television feed for broadcasters around the world.
43 cameras and a helicopter
RTL Hungary prepared the complex and demanding project for nearly a year in close cooperation with UEFA. More than 160 professionals were involved on site. To capture every angle of the final, a total of 43 cameras were deployed, while more than 146 kilometers of cable were installed throughout the stadium. The setup also included a helicopter-mounted gyroscopic camera, a Spidercam, and several specialized stadium cameras. RTL Hungary also provided infrastructure for 83 rights holders and approximately 1,700 accredited media representatives.
The Champions League final was also a major success for RTL Hungary’s own channels. Nearly 2.5 million viewers watched at least one minute of the broadcast on RTL’s flagship channel, while RTL+ Premium doubled the audience of the previous year’s final and attracted almost three times as many new subscribers. The 2026 final was the most-watched Champions League final on Hungarian television in 29 years among the total population and achieved a 14-year high in the commercial target group. RTL recorded a 53.8 percent audience share among viewers aged 18 – 59 during the match.
A world-class broadcast
“We are particularly proud because this result reflects the interest of Hungarian football fans, the success of RTL+’s strategy, and the extraordinary work our colleagues have carried out behind the scenes over many months,” said Gabriella Vidus, CEO of RTL Hungary. “I would like to thank Balázs Zelenyánszky and the RTL sports team, all colleagues working in production, technology, and digital areas, as well as our partners, for contributing to this success with a world-class broadcast and an exceptional viewing experience.”
