Rugby media mix: to the Web at half-time

Television audiences projected for the Rugby World Cup finals are likely to be record breaking. And the Web traffic could be stunning.

The 2007 Rugby World Cup has already attracted huge television audiences worldwide. The opening France – Argentina match drew nearly 14 million viewers in France on TF1, the largest single program audience for TF1 the year.

When figures from the England – South Africa final match are added in the rugby tournament will potentially out-strip all TV sports this season. ITV is counting on 15 million viewers for the final in the UK, far exceeding the 2003 totals when, worldwide, the tournament drew an estimated 3.5 billion cumulative viewers.

Internet traffic will also be huge as fans check out their favorite sports websites for results, commentary and, of course, video replays. Médiamétrie, the French media measurement organization, looked at Web traffic before, during and after two of the early Rugby World Cup matches. There it was: Web traffic in France jumped measurably at half-time and end of match.

The France – Georgia match on Sunday, September 30th drew 9.4 million viewers in France, a record for televised rugby matches. The Ireland – Argentina match later that same day drew just under 7 million. Médiamétrie matched up Web traffic figures, quarter-hour by quarter-hour, for the entire day. Internet traffic showed clear increases both at match half-times and immediately post-match.

Televised sporting events drive a huge proportion of viewing and, of course, advertising. Major event organizers have become extremely good at selling those events to viewers as well as advertisers and merchandisers. In Europe major sports events will remain on free-to-air television for the foreseeable future as required by the EU television directives.

Sports content on the Web, though, is coming of age. Fans are clearly using the Web, integrated with television, for peak enjoyment. Event organizers and rights holders can either benefit – as seen by heightened interest in the Rugby World Cup - or descend into financial battles with no winners. - Michael Hedges October 20, 2007

Keywords: Rugby World Cup, sports media coverage

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