Handball Popularity Peaks with Iceland vs. Sweden Viewership

2026-01-27 - 15:02

Television audiences in Iceland set a new national record for handball viewership during the European Men’s Handball Championship this week, with the match against Sweden attracting unprecedented attention. As reported by RÚV, broadcast measurement data show Iceland’s game against Sweden achieved an average viewership of 59.1% and a cumulative reach of 68.9% across the country. What's the Story? Iceland vs Sweden at the European Men’s Handball Championship 59.1% average viewership; 68.9% cumulative reach Previous record set by Iceland vs Hungary on 20 January European Championship Interest These figures surpass the previous record for a handball match in Iceland, set just days earlier during the encounter with Hungary on 20 January, which drew an average of 59.8% and a cumulative reach of 66.9%. Both matches are now the most-watched handball fixtures in the history of electronic audience measurement in Iceland. Iceland’s earlier game in the tournament, against Croatia, did not exceed these levels, with an average viewership of 56.5% and a cumulative reach of 64.1%. The team lost that match 29:30. Television measurement in Iceland has been recorded electronically only since 2008, meaning that historic events such as the men’s handball matches at the 2002 European Championship and the 1989 World Cup B cannot be compared with current data due to lack of equivalent records. Despite these new handball records, the highest average national sports viewership remains the Iceland vs. Argentina game at the 2018 FIFA World Cup, which registered 62.4% average viewership and a 71.4% cumulative reach.