The summer Olympic Games start in a few days in Athens, bringing the most important sporting event to the world.
In 2000 and the European level, the soccer Euro 2004 gathered together more people than the Sydney Olympic Games. The same way it happened during the 1996 Games in Atlanta, Eurodata TV Worldwide analysed regional disparities within the Sydney Olympic Games TV viewership levels.
In Europe, Olympic Games TV ratings reached the top of the rankings with a lot of difficulties due to the time difference. They actually appeared only once in one country within the ‘Tops 10 Sport programs’ European listings, that is to say in Denmark.
The opening ceremony was the only event able to reach the Top 100 sport programs of the year in several countries.
Even in the United States where the Olympic Games constitute a much-awaited event, the public was quite mixed in its reaction : within the 10 best ranked sport programs of the year 2000, only 1 TV broadcast of the event made it to the top.
In fact, it was in the Asia Pacific region where the TV viewers rallied for giving to the Olympic games very good audience results.
In 2000, OG accounted for 66 out of the 100 best TV ratings of the year among sport programs in China (Beijing), 59 in South Korea and 23 in Japan (Kanto).
In Australia (Sydney area), the Olympic Games monopolised the Top 10 thanks to the opening and closing ceremonies as well as to the outstanding performances of Australian athletes such as Ian Thorpe and Cathy Freeman.
With the come back of the Olympic Games in Europe for the first time in 12 years, it would be very surprising to not find any program of the event within the top 10 sport rankings in 2004 such as it had been the case in 2000 in France, Germany, Italy, Spain, UK and of course Greece.
Nevertheless, the Olympic Games in Greece will compete against the Euro 2004 in Portugal in order to find out the most watched event on TV during the year 2004.
For all press information please contact : Christelle Cros
Tel : + 33 1 47 58 97 55 – Fax : + 33 1 47 58 09 26
E-mail : ccros@mediametrie.f – www.mediametrie.fr
For further information please contact : Mickael Hagège
Tel : + 33 1 47 58 97 30 – Fax : + 33 1 47 58 64 24
E-mail : sports@mediametrie.fr / www.eurodatatv.com