The MP & Silva agency has reported that this year’s French Open, for which the agency was selling the European media rights for the first time, enjoyed an 18-per-cent increase in its hours of coverage and a 17-per-cent increase in its audiences in Europe.
The agency said European broadcasters showed more than 7,800 hours of the French Open across 50 channels, an increase on the 6,629 hours of coverage across 42 channels in 2011.
This year there were 18.8 billion ‘viewing minutes’ in Europe – with one viewing minute equivalent to one person watching for one minute – to mark an increase from 16 billion viewing minutes in 2011. Excluding audiences on pan-European broadcaster Eurosport, the 2012 tournament generated 10.8 billion viewing minutes, a six-per-cent increase on 10.2 billion in 2011.
Of the 25 European broadcast partners MP & Silva has agreed deals with, 12 were new to the tournament in 2012. Free-to-air deals were agreed in 22 countries, up from 20 in 2011.
MP & Silva has a five-year deal, from 2012 to 2016, with French Open organiser the Fédération Française de Tennis to distribute the media rights for the tournament in Europe, excluding France.
Michel Grach, the FFT’s media and sponsorship director, said: “2012 has been another record-breaking year for Roland Garros distribution around the world, and we are particularly pleased with these impressive European figures which confirm the enduring strength of our tournament. Our aim is to develop our relationships with MP & Silva and our new broadcasters still further, and to continue to improve the quality and quantity of Roland Garros coverage for tennis fans and tournament partners worldwide.”