The 2025 Volleyball Nations League (VNL) Men`s Finals, hosted in Ningbo, China, not only crowned its champions but also established a significant milestone in sports broadcasting history.
On August 3rd, the Men`s Final between Poland and Italy attracted a cumulative audience of 3.8 million viewers. This marked Polsat Sport`s highest viewership in over 25 years for the A4+ demographic, highlighting volleyball`s rapidly increasing popularity.
This impressive momentum was consistent throughout the entire finals week. Polish television coverage of the Men`s VNL reached a remarkable weekly cumulative average audience of 8.9 million. This sustained the significant surge observed earlier in the competition, where viewing time for VNL matches during the initial three weeks soared by 166% compared to 2024.
Beyond Poland, the Men`s Finals achieved exceptional results in other key markets. In Italy, DAZN reported cumulative initiated streams nearly two and a half times greater than last year`s figures at the equivalent stage. The Poland vs. Italy final alone attracted a unique streaming audience more than three times larger than Italy`s prior best for a Men`s Finals match in 2024 (which was the Italy vs. France quarter-final).
Türkiye also witnessed unprecedented viewership for the sport. The semi-final clash between Brazil and Poland saw a 32% increase in audience compared to the country`s previous peak for this stage in 2024 (Slovenia vs. Poland).
The VNL 2025 Finals unequivocally demonstrated that volleyball is currently enjoying a period of unparalleled and sustained popularity. By shattering long-standing records, the tournament has solidified its position as one of the most widely watched and highly regarded international sports events of the year.
Finley Blackwood