On a global scale, the UEFA EURO 2004™ was one of the most viewed sports events ever on TV. There is every indication that the UEFA EURO 2008™ will be even more popular among TV viewers and that it will set new viewer records.
The UEFA EURO 2004 final between Portugal and Greece was watched by 279 million TV viewers. As many as 120 million of these were outside Europe. Each match drew an average 74 million viewers outside Europe.
Hence, as a sponsor of the UEFA EURO 2008, Carlsberg will gain exposure and attract attention to an unprecedented extent.
10 million Chinese TV viewers
Public interest in European football is growing, not least in many Asian countries. In Indonesia, viewer interest peaked in 2004 with 6.3 million viewers for one match, while 10.4 million Chinese were in front of the TV screen during the final, which was broadcast live in the middle of the night. This should be compared to the fact that a decisive qualification match for the FIFA World Cup 2006 between China and Hong Kong broadcast during primetime attracted 25 million Chinese viewers.
Also in Thailand and Malaysia, millions of TV viewers were drawn to the screen, not least to watch the final.
In Brazil on the other side of the globe, more than 20 million viewers watched the final.
New viewer record up 20 percent
But of course the highest viewer ratings for the UEFA EURO 2004 were recorded in the European counties. The total number of viewers was up by 20 percent, compared to the UEFA EURO 2000.
In Germany, the number of viewers increased by 42 percent, while the hosts of the UEFA EURO 2008 beat all records: More than twice as many Swiss and 65% more Austrians watched the UEFA EURO 2004, compared to the UEFA EURO 2000. And with these countries hosting the UEFA EURO 2008, the number of viewers is likely to skyrocket again.
In the UK, France, Germany, Italy and Spain, many of the matches were the most viewed broadcasts in 2004. The Germans are the Europeans to watch the most football matches, also when their own heroes do not participate in the game.
In the UK, the number of viewers for the UEFA EURO 2004 surpassed those of the latest Olympics and the FIFA World Cup. 21 million Britons watched the quarter final between Portugal and England, which made it the most viewed sports event ever in the UK.
Also in France and the Netherlands, the UEFA EURO 2004 was more popular among TV viewers than e.g. the FIFA World Cup and the Olympics. Italy and France reached almost the same level.
Developments have been very clear so far: The number of viewers goes up every time UEFA organises a European football championship. Hence the number of TV viewers for the UEFA EURO 2008 will probably also exceed anything we have seen so far.
UEFA EURO 2004 proved to be
more popular than the Olympics
In 2004 the UEFA EURO Championship attracted plenty more TV viewers than the most attractive broadcasts from the Olympics in Athens. Some examples from four European countries:
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Athens 2004
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UEFA EURO 2004 |
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England
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Women’s 1500m:
12.4 million
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Quarter-Final England – Portugal:
20.7 million |
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Germany
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Opening ceremony:
13.2 million
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Final Portugal – Greece:
24.7 million |
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Italy
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Basketball Final Italy - Argentina:
6.9 million
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Italy – Bulgaria:
21.4 million |
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France
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Opening ceremony:
7.3 million
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Semi-final France – Greece:
14.7 million |
…and was more popular than UEFA EURO 2000
Compared to UEFA EURO 2000, the average Home Team Live Match Audience during UEFA EURO 2004 increased significantly, e.g. in Germany to 22.4 million (+ 35%), Italy to 18.5 million (+ 37%), United Kingdom to 17.8 million (+ 15%) and The Netherlands to 7.6 million (+ 22%).
Football stars draw TV viewers
Betting on European football is popular in several Asian countries
In several Asian countries, European football draws TV viewers in a steeply upward-moving curve. Especially the decisive matches in large international tournaments have many million viewers.
One of the reasons for the football interest is the very focused efforts that especially the large English teams have made to market themselves in that part of the world, perhaps based on the historical relations between the UK and many Asian countries. At the same time, the big football stars have become celebrities in line with the most well-known actors and today, footballers are being idolized in and by the popular press in the same way as actors.
Every year during the summer period, before the start of the English national tournament, the large teams go on warm-up tours in Asia, where they play a number of exhibition matches. Together with heavy sales of merchandise, this has contributed to hyping football.
The advantage of the UEFA EURO 2008 is that it is possible for TV viewers to see the greatest stars in one very prestigious tournament. The national teams of all the big nations are the crème de la crème of international football.
Gathering around a common identity
From Singapore, an observer - and a fan - of football points out that many TV viewers also use the late hours in the evening watching the UEFA EURO transmissions as a gathering of people around a common event, both privately, at restaurants and on the workplace. In many European companies’ Asian subsidiaries, the employees gather around the big screen to be part of a common identity in the company they work in.
Football is used for betting
The importance of football as a betting object is also on the increase.
“In several Asian countries, people are crazy about betting. Betting is a very large industry and betting on football results has become very popular”, says Berky Y.W. Kong, Carlsberg’s head of communications in Asia.
In Hong Kong and Macau, for instance, betting on football results was only made legal a few years ago. But now, only horse races are a bigger betting object than European football teams.