Olympic ceremony predicted to break global live TV record

by Oona Haas, Brand Republic 08-Aug-08, 12:45

LONDON - Media agency MindShare has predicted the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics will be viewed by 2.3bn people, making it the most viewed live event in television history.

More than 80% of the host country, that is 1.1bn out of the entire 1.3bn population, will be watching today's ceremony, breaking Chinese viewing records too.

Viewing statistics for Europe and North America will not be as impressive given the time of day that the event will be broadcast.

The ceremony will begin in Beijing at 8.08pm making it air in Europe at lunchtime (1.08 pm in the UK) and in North America during the early hours.

But MindShare is still sufficiently confident that the ceremony will still garner a substantial amount of worldwide viewings to say it will reach a cumulative total of 4.4bn viewers.

Nick Waters, chief executive for MindShare Europe, Middle East and Africa, said: "The Olympics is one of the pivotal events for television audiences and the opening ceremony is one of the truly global spectacles. Although the sheer population numbers in the Asia Pacific region is expected to boost figures, we still predict a strong interest in the event across all European territories, including the UK."

Adding to that, Andrew Meaden, CEO for MindShare North Asia, said: "We believe this would be the first time in history any single event has attracted over 1bn viewers in a single country."

Comments

jezwaspsrule - 08/08/2008

And MindShare are surprised by this? Most populous country on earth hosts global sporting event and will generate biggest TV audience? I hope that this amazing 'insight' was thought up in the pub rather than through an expensive research project.

ryan mcl - 08/08/2008

"any single event has attracted over 1bn viewers in a single country" well only 2 countries have a population of over 1bn (China and India, correct me if i'm wrong) bit of a no-brainer

Jeremy Lee - 08/08/2008

'MindShare is sufficiently confident that the ceremony will garner a substantial amount of worldwide viewings'? That's very brave of them. I'm sufficiently confident in the blindingly obvious too.

CF - 08/08/2008

Still - for all the bitching - the ceremony was incredible. I watched it online through the BBC website during my lunchbreak. A-mazing. Dictators sure are good at choreography...