EUROSPORT BREAKS VIEWING RECORDS WITH BEST EVER GIRO D'ITALIA AUDIENCES

The 2017 Giro d’Italia is officially the most-watched Giro ever on Eurosport in over 15 years of the event being on the network. The dramatic final stage time-trial, which saw Dumoulin reverse a 53 second deficit to Nairo Quintana, was watched by a peak audience of over 4.8 million - the highest ever for a single Giro stage on the network. The 24-day Grand Tour also registered the highest average viewing audience throughout its duration with 1.3 million tuning in to live coverage on average across the 21 stages.    

In the Netherlands, Eurosport’s coverage broke new ground as Dutchman Tom Dumoulin chased victory. Each of the last three stages broke the previous record for average viewing audiences and during the final stage a peak of 1.9 million viewers, a 59% share of the total TV audience, tuned in to see Dumoulin claim the Maglia Rosa in dramatic fashion.

Commenting on the figures, Eurosport CEO Peter Hutton said: “We’re delighted that our coverage of the first Grand Tour of the year has proved so popular with fans across Europe. The numbers are all the more impressive given that we aired 40% more live coverage of the Giro this year compared to 2016, which means we have more viewers watching on a daily basis, and for longer. We’ve invested in local production and fans clearly appreciate dedicated coverage which tells more of the cycling stories that matter to them. Also for this year’s Giro, our partnership with CA Technologies enabled us to take viewers closer to the peloton than ever before with an upgraded digital app experience which put fans at the centre of the action, giving them a better understanding of the race, the riders and the stories on the road as they unfold.”

He adds: “This year we’ll show over 200 days of live cycling and 2,300 hours of coverage across our channels – our most ever – including the remaining Grand Tours, plus 25 UCI World Tour events, including all five Monuments. If you’re passionate about cycling, Eurosport remains the only place to be and we will soon be strengthening our portfolio so we urge cycling fans to watch this space for upcoming announcements.”

This year Eurosport will show a record 21 Grand Tour stages live as part of 300 hours of coverage from the sport’s three biggest events. In line with Eurosport’s strategy of connecting with local fans, for the first time, both the UK and Germany will produce on-site coverage at this year’s Tour de France with local presenters and talent covering the local stories that matter.

Eurosport continues to work with the biggest names in the sport for their unique analysis and insights, these include three-time Tour de France winner, Greg LeMond, plus Tour stage winner, Juan Antonio Flecha and Sean Kelly, winner of nine monument classics. Roberto Vacchi (Sweden) and Richard Virenque (France) will provide headline commentary and local expertise across Europe.

Eurosport’s coverage continues to push boundaries and this year will include the first live broadcast in 360 Virtual Reality during a professional race at La Route du Sud in June. Live on-air coverage will be supported with dedicated talent-based magazine shows, such as Tech Talk, with every minute also available on Eurosport Player – the all-access on demand digital pass.

Eurosport.com - Europe’s No 1 online sports news website – will continue to provide extensive digital coverage of the sport and Discovery Communications recent investment in Play Sports Group will ensure that Eurosport content is accessible to a wider digital community of cycling fans.

ENDS.