UEFA Euro 2020 poised to draw good traction, experts

After missing out on the 2020 play, stage is set for the UEFA Euro 2020, which kicks off on June 11, 2021, with the finals being held on July 11, 2021. Sony Pictures Sports Network is the official broadcaster of the tournament in India. The broadcaster will telecast the tournament in six languages – English, Hindi, Bengali, Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam – across SONY TEN 2, SONY TEN 3, SONY SIX and the newly launched SONY TEN 4 channels as well as live stream the tournament on SonyLIV.

UEFA Euro 2016 was viewed by 2 billion people on TV globally, which was an increase of over 100 million over UEFA Euro 2012 viewership. In India, an estimated 23.8 million watched the first 45 matches, according to BARC data. The 2016 tournament boosted the ratings for SPSN channels by 5X.

To create buzz around UEFA Euro 2020, SPSN brought back its #MeriDoosriCountry campaign. There is a huge fan following across countries such as Portugal, France, Germany, England, Spain, Italy, Brazil and Argentina, as well as in India. With India not a part of the tournament, #MeriDoosriCountry campaign is aimed at creating engagement with the Indian fans of football and encourage them to cheer for their ‘doosri country’.

According to media reports, SPSN is expecting Rs 200 crore in advertising revenues from linear and digital channels combined. The ad rates range from Rs 1.5 lakh to Rs 3 lakh for 10-second ad. The ad rates are expected to go higher as the tournament reaches the quarter finals, semi-finals and finals. Last year, the ad rates were estimated at Rs 2.5 lakh per 10 seconds.

“Ad rates depend on variables like demand and supply as well as the period of an event. I believe UEFA Euro 2020 is poised to draw good traction from a business perspective,” remarked Yatin Ram Balyan, National Head – Investment & Enterprise, OMG India.

He further added, “Sport always draws better traction with varying degrees of scalability depending on the audiences being catered to. Sporting events enjoy a great deal of consumer engagement and are often in a position to justify ad rates. UEFA Euro 2020 is likely to fit the norm in this regard!”

Speaking about the categories that will be willing to advertise during the tournament, he said, “Advertisers with brands targeting male audiences and a young demographic are more likely to consider being visible during UEFA Euro 2020. As far as advertiser categories are concerned, events like EURO 2020 majorly attract Auto, E-Comm, Gadgets, Durables, EdTech and FMCG brands.”

“Euro 2020 tournament is a premium property. Hence, advertisers with audiences in the metros or traditional football markets like West Bengal, Kerala or Goa, will look to advertise during the Euros. This will also extend to brands who traditionally advertise during the monsoons,” noted Melroy D’souza, COO, Professional Management Group, Madison World.

Noticeably, UEFA Euro 2020 will be airing soon after remainder of the IPL 2021 edition was pushed back to the September-October window after COVID-19 breached the bio bubble that BCCI created for the tournament. UEFA Euro 2020 schedule intersects with the French Open 2021 and F1 season, however, experts believe that it will not dilute viewership for the football tournament.

D’souza observed, “There will be a very limited clash between the schedule of F1, French Open and Euro 2020 and hence, it will not affect viewership at all. Also, the audience for football is much bigger than tennis or motorsport in India and hence, it will not have any bearing on the final number of audiences watching.”

“Audiences under the COVID-19 lockdown have been looking forward to sporting events. So, it can be assumed that despite a pause in such activities in India, UEFA Euro 2020 is likely to receive a better response. However, ad monies depend a lot on the market and consumer sentiments and, on the advertisers’ readiness with the availability of stocks which have been impacted,” Balyan said.

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