TV audiences throughout Europe tuned in to the SPAR European Cup, held on June 19 and 20 in Bydgoszcz, Poland, to give it excellent ratings – despite the competition clashing with Euro 2004.

Viewing figures in the UK were better than last year and were described by the BBC as ‘good’ taking Euro 2004 into account. During more than five hours of coverage the BBC audience reached a peak of 2.2 million (18 per cent share), with an average of 1.4 million (5 per cent share).

Host broadcaster TVP achieved a peak audience of 2.5 million (29 per cent share). TVP1 showed more than four hours live, with 1.4 million (25 per cent share) watching on Saturday. On Sunday 2.04 million (24 per cent share) tuned into the first afternoon session and 2.51 million saw the German men and Russian women emerge as team champions in the second.

In Sweden, SVT transmitted seven hours with an average audience of 685,000 (8 per cent share). Germany’s ARD showed highlights to an audience of 1.99 million (12.7 per cent share) despite a direct clash with Euro 2004.

In Italy, the audience on Saturday reached 818,000 (11 per cent share). French TV showed almost three hours.

Next year the Cup, regarded as Europe’s premier team athletics competition, is likely to be staged in Florence, subject to official European Athletic Association evaluation, accommodation requirements and TV guarantees. Stockholm had been a candidate until the Swedish men’s team was relegated in Bydgoszcz. The 2006 competition is set to go to Malaga, Spain.

The next events to be broadcast under the latest EAA-EBU contract will be the SPAR European Cross Country Championships in Usedom, Germany, on December 12, and the European Indoor Championships in Madrid from March 4-6, 2005.

For further details contact:

Nicolas Russi
+ 41 79 405 74 05
media@european-athletics.org