Broadcast coverage increases by 10%
In total, the Women’s EHF EURO 2010 was broadcast on 65 television and radio stations,
reaching more than 80 countries worldwide. Most of the broadcasters provided live or near-live transmissions, depending on time zones and broadcaster schedules. The total broadcast
coverage of 966 hours displays an increase of 10% in comparison to the figures of the Women's EHF EURO event in 2008, showing that broadcasters assign a rising importance to
women’s handball in their overall sports programming. Media interest was also at an all-time
high, with 500 media representatives further supporting the awareness of the championship.Audience figures rise in successful nations
The success of specific teams in the EHF EURO 2010 competition including France,
Denmark, Norway and Sweden had a marked effect on the audience figures in these four
markets, with their combined cumulative audience increasing by almost 100%. In contrast the
early departure of teams from traditional handball markets with a strong following, such as
Germany, resulted in a decline in interest during the course of the competition in these countries.Huge popularity in the host nations
Throughout the entire Women’s EHF EURO, impressive viewing figures were recorded in the
Scandinavian countries. The first games of the host countries’ home teams, broadcast on TV2
Denmark and TV2 Norway, achieved impressive market shares of 39% and 49% respectively.
In Norway, the match between the home team and France attracted the highest number of
viewers ever for a handball opening game. In Denmark, almost two million viewers tuned in for
their national team’s crucial games throughout the tournament. In Sweden, the final on TV4
had the biggest audience for a women’s handball match since 2004.EHF President, Tor Lian, said: “I am delighted that the EHF’s flagship national team event, the
EHF EURO, continues to enthuse and entertain not only record number of spectators live in
the arenas but also such large numbers on television across the world. The success of the
men’s and women’s EURO events in 2010 underlines not only the strength and attractiveness
of the EHF European Championship product on the international sport market but also the
quality and professionalism of our partners, Infront, and the host federations Austria, Norway
and Denmark.”
Stephan Herth, Infront's Executive Director Summer Sports, said: “The fact that the broadcast
figures of the EHF EURO events remain high demonstrates that our marketing approach is
sustainable. On top of this – the strong increase in overall broadcast hours reflects a clear
trend towards the networks showing a greater interest in the coverage of top European
handball. With the 2010 Women’s tournament, co-hosted by two countries for the first time
ever, Infront and the EHF have jointly delivered an all-round success – be it in terms of the
media, marketing, onsite spectators or the overall popularity of the tournament.”
Record spectator numbers
Over 220,000 fans followed the games in the event’s five venues - the largest number of
spectators ever for a Women’s EHF EURO. The final weekend in Herning, Denmark was
played out to capacity crowds of more than 12,500 people creating an unforgettable
atmosphere both for fans and players alike. The final saw the Norwegian team defeat Sweden
25:20 and win the title for the fourth time in a row, Norway’s fifth gold medal in the history of
the EURO competition.
The official website of the event (www.ehf-euro.com) attracted 650,000 unique visitors, more
than double the number than was achieved at the Women’s EHF EURO 2008. This strong
increase in interest resulted from various enhancements to the platform including live
streaming of all 47 matches, which attracted more than 160,000 unique visitors and over
147,000 hours of access to the live and on-demand service, and a brand new feature – EHF
EURO WebTV – with daily video reports and news from the championship. The Women’s
EHF EURO 2010 had its own dedicated Facebook page, providing another channel for fans to
follow the action from Norway and Denmark.
