Leeds clash trumped other Championship encounters with sky-high figures – report
By Amir Mir
Leeds’ defeat against Newcastle at Elland Road in November has so far been the most watched Championship fixture on Sky Sports this season, according to a report.
The Birmingham Mail claim that the heavyweight clash attracted an audience of over 1.1million as a Dwight Gayle brace saw off Garry Monk’s side on the day.
The fixture trumped other second-tier games such as Aston Villa’s clash against Newcastle in September which saw a viewing audience of 524,000 tuning in.
It is said that English Football League viewing figures are up by 16 per cent year-by-year as some encounters have been more popular than some top flight games.
Furthermore, the recent fixture between Newcastle and Villa on Monday night attracted an audience of 427,000, this despite non-league Sutton hosting Arsenal in the FA Cup on terrestrial station BBC1.
Rafa Benitez’s side went on to win that match, with Yoan Gouffran and a Henri Lansbury own goal seeing the Magpies restore their lead at the top of the table.
The Championship this season has drawn up a number of exciting fixtures, mainly down to the demise of former Premier League clubs.
The likes of Leeds, Nottingham Forest, Newcastle, and Villa have all locked horns this term, with the quartet holding three European Cups and a vast amount of top flight experience between them.
In other Leeds news, Kyle Bartley has delivered his verdict ahead of the Whites clash against Sheffield Wednesday.
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