UEFA EXPECTS 250m TV AUDIENCE

HEAD

Kiev: A global television audience of 250 million viewers will watch Spain play Italy in the European Championship final, UEFA predicted on Friday.

Official ratings already achieved by Euro 2012 matches suggests the final on Sunday will beat the 237 million average audience for Spain’s title-winning victory against Germany four years ago.

“I think it’s a strong performance and we’re happy so far,” UEFA marketing director Guy-Laurent Epstein said.

Average rating is acknowledged as the most credible audited audience figure, and counts TV viewers who watch for at least 30 minutes. Definitive worldwide figures take several months to finalize.

Epstein said UEFA expects the match to reach 350 million viewers who will see at least one minute of the action in Kiev.

Euro 2012 has provided a good return for broadcasters in more than 200 territories who paid a combined £840 million ($1.07 billion) for media rights. They contributed 62 percent of UEFA’s total commercial revenue of £1.345 billion ($1.7 billion) for the 31-match tournament.

High ratings suggest national teams continue to outperform club football, despite the increasing popularity of UEFA’s Champions League competition and the English Premier League’s worldwide appeal. Still, the European title match is a distant second to the World Cup final. — AP