Sports Ticker #110: Special Edition - 2024 Summer of Sport - a speed read of commercial updates from the sports world

In a fortnight which has seen Euro 2024 final heartbreak for England's men and a spectacular (but wet) opening ceremony at Paris 2024, we bring you a very special edition of the Sports Ticker: the 2024 Summer of Sport! Read on for a Ticker roundup of the biggest events this summer: Euro 2024 and the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics.

As always, if there are any issues on which you'd like more information (or if you have any questions or feedback), please do let us know or get in touch with your usual contact at RPC.

England score big... viewership figures for Euro 2024

UK viewership figures reveal that England's defeat against Spain was the most-watched television broadcast this year, attracting a peak audience of 24.2 million on the BBC and ITV and their on-demand platforms. This is higher than peak viewing figures of 21.6 million for England's semi-final victory against the Netherlands. The actual audience figure could be much higher as these figures do not include fans watching in public places such as pubs and fan zones. However, broadcasters might feel let down, and not just by the game's outcome but also by the Euro 2024 final's viewership. It fell short of Euro 2020's numbers when 31 million UK fans watched Italy defeat England in 2021. Major tournaments like the Euros, World Cup, Olympics, and Wimbledon are required to be aired on free-to-air channels, with Wimbledon drawing 7.5 million viewers for the Alcaraz vs. Djokovic men's singles final.

British economy matches England's footballing success

England's achievements at Euro 2024 provided a boost to the British economy, based on data released by Adobe Digital Insights. Non-alcoholic beer sales saw a significant increase, with weeknight England matches escalating sales by 38% whilst alcoholic beer sales saw a 13% increase on England weeknight matchdays. Purchases of crisps and snacks contributed to growing grocery take-home sales, which increased by 2.2% from early June to early July. Demand for England merchandise boomed, with volume up 1,200% on normal levels after the first week of games, although this halved after draws against Slovenia and Denmark, showing that sales closely mapped England's performances. Shirt sales then soared after England's quarter final penalty shootout victory against Switzerland, up 1,341% on normal sales levels. Demand for vintage and retro England shirts like those worn in 1996 also reached new heights, suggesting nostalgia amongst fans for the 'golden age' of English football.

Battle of the brands

Media analyst Commetric has published its findings on the success of sponsorship campaigns run around Euro 2024, and in particular on how Adidas gained so much traction over the course of the tournament. A key reason for its success was the use of Adidas's connected ball technology at Euro 2024 for the first time. The tech sends precise ball data to VAR officials in real time, and works alongside AI-drive player positioning data to inform decision-making (read more about it here). This link between Adidas' Euro 2024 sponsor status and its involvement in the tech on the pitch was a strong driver for increased marketing visibility. Other sponsors engaged with the functioning of the tournament too, with Alipay operating as the official digital payment provider and Lidl focusing on the importance of nutrition as official fresh food partner. Other Adidas boosts included the 'Hey Jude' ad campaign turned football chant, and its commended decision to swiftly ban a controversial customisation option on its football shirts. These factors contributed to Adidas's calculated 45% share of voice (a measurement of Adidas's advertising share) of the Euro 2024 conversation.

Olympic Games Paris 2024

Seine-sational

Olympic Games Paris 2024 is projected to generate up to €11.1 billion for the Paris region, according to an independent study by the Centre de Droit et d'Économie du Sport. The impact is expected to come from tourism, construction, and the organisation of the Games themselves, which are expected to draw between 2.3 million and 3.1 million visitors to Paris. Most of the Olympic funding is private (€7 billion), coming from media rights, ticketing, and sponsorships, but also longer-term infrastructure projects. That includes an IOC contribution of $1.7 billion, after it recorded $902 million in revenue for 2023 (see more here), and is bolstered by some €3 billion in public funding. The Games also has a sustainability focus, with Olympic Games Executive Director Christophe Dubi commenting "These are Games that truly adapt to the needs of their host and to the times we live in, creating an impactful legacy before the Opening Ceremony and long after the sport competitions have ended."

IOC Prime for (legal) action

The IOC has continued to actively enforce the Olympic intellectual property rights portfolio, launching a trade mark infringement claim against energy drinks brand Prime. The brand, backed by Logan Paul and KSI, is allegedly using trade marked Olympic phrases and symbols on a special edition of its drink, which features basketball star and Olympic gold medallist Kevin Durant. The IOC alleges that consumers could be misled into thinking there is an agreement between the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee and Prime, and launched its claim in Colorado when Prime continued to market the product after receiving a cease and desist letter. There is a storied history to the IOC's vigorous defence of the Olympic intellectual property rights, harking back to the pre-London 2012 story 'cake-gate', in which the IOC threatened the cakemakers the British Sugarcraft Guild with legal proceedings if they went ahead with an Olympic-themed competition in late 2011. Intellectual property isn't the only legal arena seeing action ahead of Paris 2024, with issues around Russia's participation at the Olympics, anti-doping rules, and France's anti-terrorism / security laws all gaining prominence (read more here).

Extra time...

…and finally, it's not just traditional athletes who are ready for the Olympics, esports players are also warming up for the first Olympic Esports Games which will be held in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 2025. Whilst the IOC have been engaged in esports since 2018, this represents the biggest involvement of the IOC to date - their previous flagship event was the Olympic Esports Week in Singapore back in 2023. Saudi Arabia are no strangers to the esports scene, with esports events in the Kingdom welcoming nearly four million fans and a further 1.3bn view on streaming platforms over the past two years. The move boosts Saudi Arabia's gaming credentials who are currently hosting the inaugural Esports World Cup, an event hosting 1,700 players from over 80 countries with a prize pool of USD$60m (almost the same as Wimbledon)! Read the press release here.