2018 was an “exceptional” year for sport on TV, according to EurodataTV Worldwide’s Yearly Sport Key Facts report.
The PyeongChang Winter Olympics was a hit with European viewers, the report found. For example, the men’s 10,000m speed skating attracted three million viewers in the Netherlands, achieving an audience share of 84.1 per cent.
The analysis also highlighted the FIFA 2018 World Cup as the year’s most-watched event. In 31 out of 47 countries, the report says the football attracted the biggest audience; these were for World Cup matches in 26 countries.
Motor sports was another success according to the data. The Italian Grand Prix in Monza was watched by 5.5 million Italian viewers; 34.6 per cent of the audience share.
Yassine-Guillaume Berhoun, sports director at EurodataTV Worldwide, said: “Although the increasing number of screens used allows viewers to enjoy a richer and more interactive offering at any time of the day or night, the audience results once again show that the TV screen still reigns supreme when people want to follow – often in the company of others – major domestic or international sports events live.”
