Viewership: How Many French People Watched the President’s Wishes?

Yesterday evening, President Emmanuel Macron delivered his annual New Year’s wishes to the French people from the gardens of the Elysée. The speech, filled with hopes and aspirations for the year ahead, garnered significant viewership across various television channels and news outlets.

In total, the President’s wishes were watched by a staggering 9.1 million French viewers on popular channels such as TF1, France 2, France 3, and M6. Additionally, there were another 1.06 million viewers who tuned in through news channels, bringing the total viewership to an impressive 10.2 million.

Among the television channels, TF1 emerged as the clear leader in terms of viewership. A total of 3.76 million viewers gathered in front of the channel, accounting for 24.2% of the overall audience aged four and above. The market share was even higher among the commercial target group of women responsible for purchases under fifty (FRDA-50), with 26.7% tuning in to TF1. In comparison to last year, TF1 saw an increase in viewership, with 3.20 million viewers in 2023.

Following closely behind was France 2, with 3.38 million French viewers watching the President’s wishes on the public service channel. This represented an audience share of 21.8% overall and 6.6% of FRDA-50. While there was a slight increase in viewership compared to the previous year, with 3.15 million viewers tuning in, it was France 3 that experienced a significant dip in viewership. Only 793,000 viewers chose the regional channel, which was half the number from the previous year.

M6, another major television channel, exceeded a million viewers with 1.22 million people following the President’s speech. This accounted for an audience share of 7.9% and a market share of 13.9% among women responsible for purchases under fifty. However, M6 saw a decrease in viewership compared to the previous year, with 140,000 fewer viewers and a drop of 0.9 audience points.

In terms of news channels, CNews took the lead with 384,000 French viewers, representing a 2.5% audience share. The news channel saw a significant increase in viewership compared to the previous year, gaining 233,000 viewers and 1.5 audience points. On the other hand, BFMTV experienced a decline, with 307,000 followers and a 2.0% audience share.

LCI, which had the highest audience among news channels in the previous year, found itself in third place with 305,000 viewers (2.0% 4+). Finally, Franceinfo made progress throughout the year but still remained far behind its competitors, with only 69,000 viewers watching the President’s wishes on the public channel.

Overall, Emmanuel Macron’s New Year’s wishes drew a significant number of viewers across various television channels and news outlets in France. The strong viewership suggests a continued interest and engagement by the French people with the President’s annual address, signaling the importance of connectivity and communication between the nation’s leader and its citizens.