Almost 13 Million Tune In To BBC For Euro 2004 Final

A peak of nearly 13 million football fans tuned into BBC One last night to watch Greece secure a historic 1-0 victory over Portugal in the culmination of this year’s Euro football tournament.

Unofficial viewing figures from BARB show that BBC One achieved an average audience of 10.9 million and a 45.7% share during the 90-minute match. Last night’s final brought the contest full circle with Greece beating Portugal 22 days after they first faced the host nation in the competition’s opening match.

Audiences for the BBC’s coverage of the game were significantly higher than those enjoyed by ITV1, which broadcast the match simultaneously. The UK’s largest commercial broadcaster drew a peak of just 3.9 million viewers and secured an average audience of 3.4 million.

However, the Euro 2004 tournament has proved profitable for both broadcasters over the last month, with England’s matches on ITV and the BBC attracting huge audiences. BBC One’s screening of England’s departure from the contest drew a peak of 24.7 million viewers and an average of 20.6 million over the 120 minute marathon against Portugal (see Almost 25 Million Watch England’s Bitter Euro 2004 Defeat).

Previously England’s match against France, shown on ITV1, was seen by a peak of 20.7 million viewers who stayed at home to watch the game. The massive audience contributed to the broadcaster’s expected surge in advertising revenue (see ITV Sees Revenue Surge As Euro 2004 Approaches).

Sponsorship opportunities were at a premium throughout the tournament and research from Initiative Media showed that car manufacturer Hyundai was the front runner in the Euro 2004 sponsorship war. The company’s on-pitch advertising gained more impact than any other tournament sponsor, claiming 32% above average exposure (see Hyundai Takes The Lead In Euro 2004 Sponsorship War).

Elsewhere the BBC secured a peak of 7.7 million viewers with its coverage of the Wimbledon tennis final between Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova. The exclusive screening drew an average of 5 million, accounting for a 35.5% share of viewers.

BBC: 020 8743 8000 www.bbc.co.uk

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