30.05.2018, 03:12
TV coverage of VELUX EHF FINAL4 2018 set new milestones

NEWS: The most important weekend in men's club handball scored record ratings in several key broadcast markets, also thanks to innovations like 4K production and iBall data usage

TV coverage of VELUX EHF FINAL4 2018 set new milestones

While the memories of last weekend's magnificent spectacle in Cologne are still lasting, it is time to have a look at the impact which the TV images of the VELUX EHF FINAL4 have had.

A total of 41 TV channels broadcast the event to more than 80 territories, while fans in parts of the world without TV coverage have massively tuned in to ehfTV.com to watch all what happened at LANXESS arena.

No less than 26 cameras followed the action on and off the court, bringing the viewer as close as possible to the action. The production was complemented by data from the iBall: for the first time, it was possible to transmit data directly from the playing ball to the TV screens.

Bringing the best quality possible to viewers at home

Also, the innovative 4K production was successfully distributed to the partners with a 4K channel, marking a new milestone for EHF Marketing on their way to bringing the best quality possible to viewers at home.

"As we mentioned before the event, there is no doubt from our side that 4K has come to stay with us," says Miguel Mateo, Head of TV & Media at EHF Marketing. "We want to thank our host broadcasting partner, TV Skyline, for our great cooperation in this pioneer project, and also our TV partners who trusted us during this very first 4K production."

Record TV audiences in France

The VELUX EHF FINAL4 2018 has had a huge impact in France, where the EHF Marketing TV partner, beIN Sports, reached an all-time record audience for a club handball match during the final. This final match was also broadcast free-to-air on TFX, giving even bigger coverage to the event.

Also in other markets the event attracted a huge interest, like in Hungary, Germany – where the final was the most watched sports event on Sunday – and especially Argentina, where the performance of MVP Diego Simonet during the weekend was a perfect showcase for the VELUX EHF Champions League and for handball in general.

TEXT: EHF / mm, br