Semifinal traffic tells two stories
Cloudflare’s analysis of Euro 2024 traffic shows that the semifinals affected the four participating countries very differently. Spain and the UK saw their deepest traffic dips at the end of their respective matches, while France and the Netherlands experienced their biggest drops—16% and 27%—during the first half. England is the only side of the four not on Central European Time, which adds a wrinkle to comparing the numbers directly.
| Country | Drop on traffic | Date / time of biggest drop (local time) |
|---|---|---|
| Spain | -19% | Jul 9, 22:45 |
| France | -16% | Jul 9, 21:00 |
| Netherlands | -27% | Jul 10, 21:15 |
| England (UK) | -11% | July 10, 21:45 |
Source: Cloudflare; created with Datawrapper
England: late drama drives the dips
England’s tournament followed a pattern: the most meaningful traffic reductions came late, often in the dying minutes or extra time. The opener against Serbia on June 16 saw an 8% drop at kickoff relative to the prior week. The June 20 draw with Denmark cut UK traffic by 8% early and then by 13% in the second half. The real outlier came after the final whistle—the BBC’s four-party debate began at 20:00 local time, and UK traffic fell 15% within 15 minutes, the day’s biggest decline.
The Slovenia group-stage draw produced smaller dips—5% in the second half and 4% in the first. Things tightened in the knockout rounds. Against Slovakia on June 30, traffic fell 9% as Jude Bellingham scored late in regulation, then dropped to 10% below the prior week when Harry Kane netted in extra time. The Switzerland quarterfinal on July 6 saw only a 3% decline during regular play, but that deepened to 11% during extra time and penalty shootouts. Finally, the Netherlands semifinal on July 10 cut traffic by 5% at 20:15 when the first two goals went in, and by 11% as Ollie Watkins’ winner sealed the final berth.
Spain: supremacy shows in the numbers
Spain won every match in regulation—no penalties required—and the steepest traffic reductions came against traditional powerhouses: Italy, Germany, and France. The June 15 opener against Croatia, played during dinner hours, dropped Spanish traffic 7% in the first half and 9% in the second. Two days later, the Italy match—a meeting of two of Europe’s most decorated sides—produced a 16% drop early in the first half and a 15% fall right after halftime, timed to Calafiori’s decisive goal.
Spain’s final group game against Albania on June 24, with advancement already secured, cut traffic by a modest 6%. The knockout stage told a different story. The round-of-16 meeting with Georgia on June 30 saw traffic fall 8%, with the sharper dip in the first half as Spain equalized. The July 5 quarterfinal against host Germany, a clash of two nations with deep international trophy cabinets, began with a 10% decline, settled to 7% in the second half, and hit 8% at the end of extra time—right around Merino’s winner. Finally, the July 9 semifinal against France opened with a 17% drop that held through the first half, then stretched to 19% by full time as Spain defended frantically and France pushed for an equalizer.
What the finals tell us
From Cloudflare’s vantage point, Euro 2024 moved traffic in predictable ways: matches broadcast on free-to-air national TV pulled viewers away from the internet, and high-stakes moments—late goals, extra time, shootouts—amplified the effect. Spain’s biggest dips tracked games against fellow title winners, while England’s deepest drops clustered in the knockout rounds. The pattern is consistent: the bigger the moment, the quieter the network.
