UPDATED: World Cup viewing stats

by Marketing ON 24 June 2010

UPDATE: 24 June 2010 – To date, 8.5 million Australian’s have tuned into the 2010 FIFA World Cup nationally.

The match with the most viewers nationally to date was England V Slovenia on 24 June 2010, reaching 724,000 viewers with an average of 394,000 viewers.

18 June 2010 – To date, television coverage of the 2010 FIFA World Cup has reached 6.4 million viewers nationally, according to OzTam and RegTAM data.

Television coverage for 16 June saw a total 3.3 million viewers tune in for the broadcasts. The live soccer match between Honduras and Chile recorded the largest audience on SBS One for the night of 504,000 viewers and a total reach of 1.3 million viewers.

16 June 2010 – Coverage of the 2010 FIFA World Cup reached 3.4 million viewers for the night of the 15th June, according to OZTam and RegTam data.

The largest audience, 670,000, tuned in for the live match between New Zealand and Slovakia on SBS One.

Television coverage of the World Cup has reached 6 million viewers nationally.

SBS signs up partners for 3D World Cup broadcast

by Marketing ON 17 May 2010

SBS has announced it will form a three-way partnership with Sony and Harvey Norman to bring Australian soccer fans the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa in 3D.

The partnership will mean up to 15 matches throughout the World Cup tournament will be available on a dedicated 3D channel in addition to SBS’s coverage – including Australia’s opening match against Germany.

FIFA will provide a 3D broadcast feed of matches throughout the tournament, which will then be broadcast live by SBS and repeated on a loop until the next 3D match is made available.

“The Australian Communications and Media Authority has been working with us on a spectrum solution and we will be using our digital transmission network for the broadcast,” said SBS’s chief operating officer Richard Finlayson.

Subiaco concern troubles World Cup bid

by Marketing ON 26 November 2009

If Australia were to win its bid to host the World Cup, Subiaco Oval could be made the flashpoint for FIFA’s ‘no marketing zone’ policy.

According to a report from Fairfax’s WAtoday.com, FIFA’s current requirements include advertising exclusion zones and ‘clean stadiums’ devoid of marketing.

As Australia’s World Cup organisers prepare to submit a bid for the event in 2018 or 2022, WA government officials are concerned that Subiaco’s location in the middle of its main shopping district will cause major problems.

There are reports that retailers in South Africa, where the event will be held in 2010, are being warned that fines, closures and jail time will be enforced should they breach any of the event’s marketing program requirements.

The FIFA website indicates that organising the world’s largest single-sport event in 2006 cost the association €1.1 billion ($1.8 billion).

It says that as a result of ‘the ambush marketing activities of companies seeking to secure themselves a slice of the rewards illicitly’, FIFA has developed a comprehensive global rights protection program, centred on the registration of all official FIFA marks.

“Before and during the 2006 FIFA World Cup, inaccurate reports frequently appeared in the media claiming that the sale of World Cup buns or World Cup bread by small local bakers was outlawed by FIFA and that the governing body was taking vigorous action against each and every infringement. These reports were, of course, complete nonsense, because there were no instances of FIFA taking such steps against a small business. FIFA’s primary objective is to put a stop to the systematic, commercial abuse of its event marks on a wide scale in order to safeguard the rights of its partners,” explains FIFA’s official website.

“Statistics show that the number of rights infringements has increased consistently over the last ten years. However, while the number of ‘major cases’ is falling, ‘smaller cases’ are becoming more and more common. Nevertheless, our biggest concern is that the rights of our partners are appropriately protected,” said Gregor Lentze, the head of FIFA marketing & TV Germany during the 2006 World Cup.

Optus announces Socceroos partnership

by Marketing ON 23 July 2009

Optus has announced a strategic partnership with Socceroos’ captain Lucas Neill and midfielder Tim Cahill.

Explaining the collaboration Paul O’Sullivan, Optus CEO, said communication was key to both winning a match and to Optus’ business. O’Sullivan continued, saying Optus offers Lucas and Tim opportunities to grow the game within Australia by reaching more fans and encouraging participation.

Optus is the official telecommunications partner to the Football Federation Australia.

“As Captain of the Qantas Socceroos, communication is essential in every part of our game. I am excited to be part of the Optus team as a football ambassador and support the work they are doing for football at an elite and community level in the cities as well as regional Australia,” explained Socceroos’ captain, Neill.

The move comes after the Australian team qualified for the 2010 World Cup, coming first in the Asia Pacific division.

“Football really is a great game. It has taught me that there are no barriers you can always work to find a solution. I’m proud to be working with Optus who are doing great things for football in Australia. With its support, we can continue to encourage greater participation and the potential for football to be the sport of first choice for players and fans,” said Cahill.