Eurosport reaps from US Open strategy
September 11, 2019
Eurosport says its strategy to serve and engage the widest possible audiences across multiple platforms during its coverage of the US Open in Europe has paid dividends with double-digit year-on-year growth on linear and additional growth on Eurosport Player and Eurosport.com.
Boosted by local experts such as Grand Slam champions Boris Becker, Marion Bartoli and Conchita Martinez, Eurosport in Germany (+30 per cent), France (+136 per cent), Spain (22 per cent) and Romania (+122 per cent) all reported significant growth with Eurosport 1 and Eurosport 2 registering an uplift of 25 per cent and 37 per cent respectively across the top 11 markets.
The women’s and men’s finals contributed strongly to the final overall audience numbers. Serena Williams’ unsuccessful bid for a 24th Grand Slam singles title against eventual champion Bianca Andreescu saw a 28 per cent year-on-year growth while Rafael Nadal’s nerve-jangling win over Daniil Medvedev was watched by the fourth largest audience ever in Spain. The same match saw average viewer numbers up by a remarkable 62 per cent in comparison with the 2018 men’s singles final.
The upward trend continued across Eurosport’s digital platforms, with the Eurosport Player enjoying a 22 per cent increase in video views and a 37 per cent uplift in minutes watched versus 2018. Eurosport.com (web and app), meanwhile, reported year-on-year unique user increases in Spain (+41 per cent), Italy (+24 per cent), Russia (+19 per cent), Germany (+11 per cent), France (+7 per cent) and Denmark (+61 per cent).
Dave Schafer, SVP Sports Content, Operations & Planning said: “I’m thrilled to see Eurosport build on what has already been a fantastic year for our tennis coverage across all of our platforms. Following a record-breaking Roland-Garros, our direct-to-consumer strategy continues to resonate with fans across Europe, millions of whom engage with our content across all screens.
“With 2020 promising to be our biggest year ever, we will once again look to reinforce our ambition to power people’s passion for tennis by delivering the best experiences and content across all screens.”