Flamengo 4-1 Medellín outdraws Man City v Arsenal on ESPN | OneFootball

Flamengo’s 4-1 win over Independiente Medellín drew bigger numbers on ESPN in Brazil than Manchester City’s 2-1 victory over Arsenal, despite the Premier League title race billing. According to Coluna Do Fla, the network carried both matches and topped pay-TV ratings.

The Flamengo game delivered seven rating points, while City v Arsenal returned four. City against Arsenal, leaders and runners-up in England, had been among 2026’s most anticipated fixtures.

Flamengo v Medellín proved so strong that ESPN outdrew free-to-air rivals SBT and Band. The match also posted 10 times more in IBOPE than second place, Globoplay Novelas.

Even so, the 4 points for City v Arsenal marked ESPN’s highest pay-TV audience of the year for a European match, 23% above second-placed SporTV.

Without Copa do Brasil or Brasileirão rights, ESPN will next show Flamengo only in Libertadores matchday 4, away to Medellín in Colombia. The matchday 3 meeting with Estudiantes de La Plata will be on Globo and Paramount Plus.

Flamengo’s next fixture is in the Brasileirão on Sunday 26 at 20:30 Brasília time against Atlético-MG. With no ESPN coverage, SporTV and Premiere will broadcast it.

Source: Coluna Do Fla