UEFA's Champions League final has for the first time replaced the NFL's Super Bowl as the most-watched annual sports event, according to a survey.

The yearly report from London-based Initiative Futures Sports and Entertainment, found that both events continue to grow but the European soccer final is growing faster.

With 2009 not including a 'mega event' - a Summer Olympic Games or a soccer World Cup or European Championship - it offered a chance to measure the two biggest annual sporting events.

The Champions League final between Barcelona and Manchester United, on May 27, drew an average audience of 109 million while the Super Bowl between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Arizona Cardinals on February 1, attracted three million less.

In terms of 'total audience', the amount of people who watched part of the event, the difference was larger with the Champions League pulling in 206 million throughout the game while the Super Bowl managed 162 million.

While the Super Bowl's audience was overwhelmingly domestic, UEFA's product appeared to be doing better in the battle for viewers globally.

"The Champions League has been better able to exploit the large burgeoning populations of the Asia-Pacific region," said Kevin Alavay, the report's director, who noted the presence of global brands such as Barcelona and Manchester United helped UEFA.

The report, in its seventh year, is based on official data from national bodies and measures 'at-home viewing'.

Alavay said the continued growth of the Super Bowl and the Champions League final was particularly impressive in a time of fragmentation in TV audiences caused by digitalisation.

Formula One's Bahrain Grand Prix was in third place with an average of 54 million, while the men's 100 metres final from the athletics world championships was fourth with 33 million.