Page 29 - AIB | The Chanel | Issue 2 2011

SPORT | THE CHANNEL
THE CHANNEL | ISSUE 2 2011 | 29
What's happening in the build-up?
The Games have already begun on
Eurosport. At the end of July, a year
before the official start of the
Olympics, we celebrated 'On the
road to London 2012' on the
channel. We have already recruited
top star athletes as our
ambassadors before and during the
Games – Maurice Greene for the
athletics and Pieter van den
Hoogenband for swimming. In
September we are launching
'Together to London', a weekly
magazine programme profiling a
former Olympic legend expressing
his views on the coming Olympics.
On Eurosport 2, starting next
January, we'll feature 'Jez', a 30
minute series which will put the
spotlight on lesser known Olympic
sports. Not to mention our other
specials ‑ regular programmes like
'Photo Finish' (Athletics) and 'Pool
Talk' (Swimming) where we meet
the world's greatest champions.
What can Eurosport fans expect?
Eurosport offers the best and most
exhaustive Olympic coverage with
live 24/7 broadcast. Only on
Eurosport can you follow all the
action, all the sports and all the
athletes.
Other broadcasters have a
national angle, they go from one
sport to another to follow their
national athletes. Eurosport
differentiates itself in that we cover
the best action at a particular
moment regardless of the athlete's
nationality. At the end of the day
we also offer fans a comprehensive
update on all sports so that fans
never miss a medal, a new record
or a new champion.
Is there any competition for you?
On a pan‑European level,
Eurosport is unique in its coverage
of sports but of course there is
tough national competition. We are
proud though to be considered as
serious challengers to the national
broadcasters.
For example in France we
sometimes have a very high
audience share and I think that this
is a concern for France Télévisions.
Eurosport is able to regularly gain
audience share and viewer loyalty
because we do a great job and
enhance our coverage will excellent
commentary with a pan‑European
angle purely focused on sport and
performance.
What is your criterion for live
coverage?
Priority is given to the popularity of
the sport in question. Athletics and
swimming are on top of our
podium, but when making
programming decisions we also
take into consideration the
importance of the performance. For
instance, if we know that
something big or unexpected is
likely to be achieved in a basketball
match, we will of course show live
coverage of that match.
Working across all platforms –
easy or difficult?
To bring all nations, all athletes, all
fans together across all screens –
that's our promise as a pan‑
European broadcaster for the
coming Games. Is it a challenge? I
think our multi‑screen coverage
gives us many different
opportunities and angles to talk to
different people at different times.
These platforms enable us to give
complementary information to fans
about what they are watching. We
will be at the heart of the action on
each platform bringing together all
generations. We know that apart
from the hardcore sports fans, 50%
of people who are watching the
Games are watching with someone
else, therefore our promise is to
bring all fans together for the Games!
Online, thanks to the expert
coverage provided by our internet
teams, our promise is to be simple
and clear to help fans understand
and follow the event. We will also
provide for our fans comprehensive
real‑time statistics and last‑minute
results.
What about interactivity?
Interactivity and connectivity will
be important in making this a truly
digital Games and as much of an
entertaining experience for the fans
as possible. By making the sports
experience more interactive, you
draw the fans to television – each
medium feeds the other one.
What about HD and 3D?
We are delighted that our 2012
coverage will be 100% HD. We are
looking into any possible
opportunities for 3D and will
continue to do so in the run‑up to
the Olympics.
We have done a lot of work with
Panasonic and the French Tennis
Federation to bring the French
Open in 3D in 2010 and 2011.
However, it's going to take a little
bit more time before 3D becomes
standard as the technology is not
completely mature yet.
You broadcast in 20 languages in
59 countries – how?
The model of Eurosport, the
flagship channel, is to have the
same signal broadcast all over
Europe and what changes is the
commentary. Around 95% of
viewers watch the channel in their
native language.
We have local teams of
commentators who are perhaps
former professionals and we pair
them with professional athletes
who are still active. So for example
at Roland Garros, we had Amélie
Mauresmo from France, Thomas
Enquist from Sweden, Conchita
Martinez from Spain. That's the
way we personalise the signal.
You have just been through a major
rebranding …
Our new positioning is 'All sports,
all emotions'. Our DNA is in that
title and it fits in really well with
the Olympic Games. Our six new
channel idents put the viewer at the
heart of the action, these on‑air
elements centre on emotions felt by
fans – for example joy, anger,
surprise or anguish.
Remember ‑ watching sports
inspires passion, it is never passive.
Julien Bergeaud, thank you.
ww
w.eurosport.com
Interactivity
and
connect-
ivity will be
important
in making
this a truly
digital
Games
“
”