When the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) created the UEFA
Champions League back in 1992, the football organisation had little idea of
the huge success story that the league would become.
Back then, the new set-up was just a natural extension of the old European
Cup. Now, fifteen years later, it is nothing less than a global phenomenon,
with between 270 and 320 million cumulative viewers each match week, in
an amazing 230 countries and territories. Over 60 per cent of the world's
population will watch the UEFA Champions League over the course of a
single season.
It is this reach around the world that enables UEFA to attract big name
brands like Heineken as partners.
"The UEFA Champions League is one of the biggest sporting brands in the
world," says Peter van Campen, Heineken's Group Commerce Director.
"Heineken is the biggest global premium beer brand, available in almost
every country in the world. So the sponsorship deal made perfect sense.
We are already seeing the benefits of our association with the competition
both in Europe and beyond."
There are now very few places in the world where Champions League
games aren't shown on television. Some of the newest territories to join the
UEFA Champions League family include the islands of St Kitts and Nevis in
the West Indies, Comoros/Mayotte in Africa and the tiny island of Kiribati in
the South Pacific.
In Asia, the Champions League generates more than 3,000 hours of
coverage. Recently China has embraced the competition like never before,
with over 800 hours of coverage across 16 channels. Sina.Com, China's
leading internet portal with 60 million page views per day, will show
delayed match coverage and establish its own Champions League mobile
service. An estimated 17 per cent of people in China consider themselves
to be Champions League fans - even though not a single Chinese player
features in the competition.
"China is a fast-growing territory for the UEFA Champions League," explains
Philippe Le Floc'h, UEFA Director Marketing and Media Rights. "Three of
China's most prestigious and ambitious content providers will be our partners
for the next three seasons. We are looking forward to building up the profile
and following of the world's biggest club competition throughout China."
