What if, this summer, we had a pizza delivered and painted our cheeks blue, white, red to watch… ping-pong? Four months before the Olympic Games, table tennis, which has rarely brought crowds to their feet in France, is experiencing unprecedented fervor. The fault of the Lebruns, these hair-raising kids from Montpellier, whose fratricidal duel fascinates.
If the L’Equipe channel has not communicated to 20 minutes the audience achieved, Sunday afternoon, by the final of the French Championships between Alexis and his brother Félix, according to our information, the retransmission was a huge success, placing itself in the same waters as biathlon, a soap opera now well placed on the free channel. It would even, we learn, be the best television audience ever recorded for a table tennis match in France.
Her colleague RMC Sport was already delighted with the scores she had achieved on February 25, thanks to the World Table Tennis Championships. By offering the France-China final for free on its Twitch and YouTube channels, the channel attracted 470,000 spectators, ranking the match No. 1 that day, far ahead of the lives of the biggest streamers. Across the entire competition, the channel had more than 2 million views in total.
“We feel a fervor never seen before”
What if these plebiscites heralded a historic craze for ping-pong at the Olympics this summer? “We clearly feel a fervor never seen before,” confides Alexy Durand, alias Thork, table tennis player for twenty years, streamer and former president of the Val d’Ozon club. “Whether in theaters, but also on social networks or on the various broadcast channels. RMC Sport made crazy figures by broadcasting ping for free, something that seemed unthinkable just a few years ago. I think the Lebruns and the French team are going to be a big attraction at the Olympics. A lot of media will be interested in their adventure. »
By questioning Internet users who have been enthusiastic about the Lebruns in recent days on social networks, Alexy Durand’s feelings are confirmed: yes, as the Olympic deadline approaches, a real hype is brewing around table tennis. Karl, a sports fanatic and contributor to amateur sports media, was also completely caught up in the craze surrounding the Lebrun brothers. He played ping-pong for “three or four years”, as a teenager, but without ever really taking an interest in it, apart from the few balls he exchanged. But since Alexis and Félix hit the screen, he hasn’t missed a single thing about their performances.
“The story telling around their family history and the matches they share have offered a unique media window to this sport,” he thinks. The prospect of the Olympics accentuates this enthusiasm, because sports fans are aware that there is a medal opportunity. This will clearly be an event not to be missed. Especially in Paris, in their country. »
With the Lebruns, “we want to know what happens next”
The beautiful story that the Lebrun brothers tell, match after match, “encourages you to take an interest in this sport,” adds Leïla, a sports fan, contacted by 20 minutes. “Two young brothers who can play doubles as well as against each other, it makes you want to watch! A bit like the Estanguets, in their time. In any case, it made me want to watch table tennis at the Olympics! » Baptiste will also be in front of France Télévisions this summer, to follow the ping-pong. “By seeing the Lebruns in the media, we want to know what happens next,” he confides. And to discover other French people. Something we would not have done if it hadn’t been for the emergence of the brothers. »
So is table tennis set to smash all the scores this summer? ” Maybe ! », replies Gilles Erb, the president of the French Table Tennis Federation (FFTT). “But on our side, we have to keep a cool head. We know that in sport, everything goes very, very quickly, both upwards and downwards. There are still big deadlines before the Olympics. » The boss of ping in France, however, cannot hide his excitement. “The timing is extraordinary, with a succession of incredible results, which gives us the right to dream of a medal”.
This enthusiasm can also be seen at the ticketing level. Last weekend, in Montpellier, the French Championships took place to a sold-out crowd. “For us, this is a new phenomenon,” continues Gilles Erb. We even refused people, almost 1,500 people…”
There are no more places for table tennis competitions at the Olympics, except at exorbitant prices
It is also difficult to know if the fervor around the Lebrun brothers had an impact on ticketing for ping-pong at the Olympics. But on the event site, it is (for now?) sold out, for table tennis. Or almost. All that remains are overpriced “hospitality packages” (from 335 to 695 euros), with food and drinks between rounds. On the other hand, there are still places at more reasonable prices to watch football, handball, athletics, golf, rowing, boxing, canoeing, rugby sevens or rugby. weightlifting.
OUR TABLE TENNIS FILE
Fiona is one of the lucky ones who was able to buy tickets for table tennis, for Paris 2024. It was “a little hidden passion” for ping-pong, she smiles, which pushed her to crack, there a few months ago, for tickets for “the very first phase of the series”. Without knowing that the Lebruns were going to experience such a fate. But today, she is “even more eager to be behind them, and to support them! », rejoices this enthusiast, who risks making some people envious, with her precious sesames. Ralph, for his part, laughs, on. “A year ago, I bought table tennis at the ticket office [des JO] because that was all that remained. And… I find myself with the most hyped sport of the year! »