Category: Sport
Date: 29.08.2004
Printable version
The efforts
of Team GB's athletes have dominated the viewing figures for the Olympics
on Â鶹Éç Television.
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But initial statistics show that a wide range of sports
have also attracted millions of viewers on Â鶹Éç ONE and TWO over the
past two weeks.
Â鶹Éç's Director of Sport Peter Salmon said: "This has been one of
the most thrilling and successful broadcast Olympics of all time on
the Â鶹Éç.
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"Remarkable human stories, huge technological advances
and wonderful sporting performances combined with peaktime medal triumphs
have created an unforgettable experience for millions of licence fee
payers.
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"And that most ancient of events, an Olympic Games,
has provided the ultimate springboard for the most advanced technological
coverage in the world on broadband online and through interactive television,
which has set new viewing records with as many as 10 million users.
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"Though Kelly and Paula have dominated the headlines,
our teams, and the audiences at home, have been thrilled by our, until
now, lesser known heroes in badminton, rowing, boxing, cycling and sailing
too.
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"The huge breadth and diversity of Athens has been
reflected in 1,200 hours of dramatic coverage from Â鶹Éç Sport."
Evidence that the Games had caught the British public's imagination
was clear from the Opening Ceremony when 10.2m viewers (48.5 per cent)
tuned in to see Team GB's entrance into the Olympic Stadium.
The largest figure for a live sporting event at the Olympics, so far,
was for Paula Radcliffe's run in the 10,000m when 12.8m viewers (56.7%)
watched her try and make amends for her disappointment in the marathon.
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Nearly eleven million (10.7m; 59.8%) people were watching
when Paula dropped out of the marathon.
Kelly Holmes' 800 metres gold medal winning performance drew 8.8m (41.3%)
and her 1,500 metres win attracted 10m (56.4%).
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Team GB's gold in the 4x100 metres men's relay final
was seen by 11.3m (58.2%) and the climax of the evening was the men's
4x400 metres relay final, watched by 11.7m (56.7%).
But viewers were not just tuning in to see the athletics and swimming,
which had a peak of 4.9m (23%).
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Other highlights included Amir Khan's boxing semi-final
which was seen by 7.4m (39.8%). Figures for his brave silver medal winning
performance are still to be released.
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Matthew Pinsent's outpouring of emotions in the coxless
four rowing medal ceremony attracted 5.1m (63.5%) viewers at 9.00am.
Viewers were attracted by a diverse range of events, and it was not
just restricted to successful Team GB events.
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Hockey attracted 6.3m (23.7%) and gymnastics had a peak
audience of 6.2m (19.1%).
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The peak figure for table tennis was 5.9m (24%) and
Gail Emms and Nathan Robertson, who took silver in the mixed badminton
final, drew 4.5m (30.2%).
Team GB's first medal of the Games, a silver in the 10m synchronised
diving won by Leon Taylor and Peter Waterfield, was watched by 4.4m
(23%).
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Leslie Law's gold winning performance in the equestrian
eventing was seen by 4.3m viewers (26.6%).
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Cycling, another British success story with Bradley
Wiggins taking gold, silver and bronze in various events, and Chris
Hoy winning a gold medal, had a peak of 4.7m (30.6%).
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Sailing, one of the most successful sports for Team
GB, enjoyed a peak of 3.5m viewers (20%).
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Archery, which featured a bronze for Team GB's Alison
Williamson, had a peak of 3.9m (35.1%).
Notes to Editors
Figures cited in the press release are peak viewing figures based on
overnight statistics released by BARB. They are still to be consolidated.
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