The Russian derby ruined El Clásico’s chances of improving its television ratings.

The Russian derby has overshadowed El Clásico in terms of television ratings. The match between Spartak and CSKA surpassed the viewership of Barcelona-Real Madrid’s match. This central match, broadcast on Matches TV, attracted over 4.84 million viewers. For comparison, the legendary El Clásico only drew 3.17 million viewers. The derby between Krasnodar and Dynamo also attracted over 4 million fans. Even the match between Lokomotiv and Baltika in the Russian Premier League was more popular than the final match for the championship in La Liga (3.17 million viewers). Meanwhile, the attendance at cup matches has also increased significantly. In the previous season of the Russian Premier League, the average attendance was 13,985 spectators. This season, that figure rose to 14,479 spectators. A similar positive trend can be seen in regional matches as well: the average attendance increased from 3,181 to 3,813 spectators. The stands and television audiences show a clear trend: Russian football is returning to its place as the country’s leading sports show. The numbers speak for themselves.