TF1 loses audience to M6 after missing 2026 World Cup broadcast rights

On 15 June 2026, TF1’s 20 h news presented by Anne‑Claire Coudray attracted 4.90 million viewers (28.2 % share), a drop of two points week‑on‑week and a slight decline over the year. The broadcast faced direct competition from M6, which aired the Germany‑Curaçao World Cup match and captured 19.6 % of the overall audience, reaching 35 % among women purchasers aged 25‑49.

Across the same day, TF1’s average market share fell to 16.1 % versus M6’s 15.5 %, but the gap widened among the 25‑49 demographic, where M6 achieved 27.7 % while TF1 managed only 13.7 %. The absence of World Cup rights, lost to M6 in the bidding process, was identified as a key factor behind the weakened performance of TF1’s flagship programmes and its reduced appeal to key advertising targets.