The Finnish Broadcasting Company Yle’s live broadcast of the glittering Independence Day ball at the Presidential Palace attracted a viewing audience of up to 2.4 million people, or some 45 percent of population. Viewership peaked around 8 pm Saturday.
The average number of people watching the broadcast – which ran from 6 to 10 pm – was just over 2.1 million. A later show featuring a staged “after-party” at a nearby luxury hotel attracted about 1.4 million viewers.
Trending worldwide
The evening’s festivities spurred heavy traffic on social media sites, with the hashtag #linnanjuhlat (palace ball) appearing briefly on Twitter's Worldwide Trends list.
For those who regretted missing the broadcast, or want to re-live the celebrity-studded event, Yle has a package of Finnish-language video clips online on a dedicated website.
The marathon broadcast from the December 6 gala, including interviews and musical interludes, is perennially the most-watched Finnish TV event of the year. This year’s viewership was about the same as last year’s, which peaked around 2.45 million.
In 2013, President Sauli Niinistö made the unprecedented move of staging the event as a reception rather than a ball and holding outside the capital. It took place at Tampere Hall while the Presidential Palace was being renovated.
