Sports
FIVB Beach Volleyball grows TV viewership, revenues
MUMBAI
With two Swatch FIVB World Tour events still to be held, Beach Volleyball worldwide total revenues in 2009 are already 180 per cent higher than in 2007 – the last year in which the Beach Volleyball World Championships and World Tour were played together, and 130 per cent higher than in 2008 when just the World Tour was played.
FIVB president Jizhong Wei said “The appeal of Beach Volleyball for television has been strong for a number of years however these outstanding figures represent a new era for the sport in terms of exposure and accessibility for Beach Volleyball fans worldwide”.
“These achievements are particularly relevant in the context of the current economic downturn which has seen the collapse and default of many broadcasters worldwide. Such achievements in the development of Beach Volleyball are the result of the FIVB’s new global approach including a new television strategy which has revolutionized the way Beach Volleyball is presented on television.
“In addition, all FIVB Beach Volleyball organizers have contributed a lot towards the growth of the overall system and this was especially evident with the 2009 Swatch FIVB World Championships recently held in Stavanger, which was the most successful Beach Volleyball World Championships in FIVB history.”
Other key 2009 Beach Volleyball Television Facts:
2009 Swatch FIVB World Championships
• 25 international broadcasters took the finals live – an increase of 525 per cent from the 2007 edition held in Gstaad, Switzerland where there were four.
• 40 international broadcasters showed action, marking an increase of 185 per cent on 2007 (14), including key broadcasters such as Universal/NBC (USA), DSF (Germany),
Television Espanola (Spain), Supersport (SouthAfrica), NOS (Netherlands), Globo (Brazil), Polsat (Poland) and ASBU (Middle East).
• Combined live, highlights and news audience was 1.65 billion across 120 territories in 2009 while in 2007 the total audience was 435m. An increase of 279.31% with Germany, a key Beach Volleyball territory, as a prime example where according to IFM interim data the TV Coverage Comparison between 2007 and 2009 has seen an increase of cumulated broadcasting time of 279% and an increase of cumulated audience of 143%.
• 426 hours of broadcast matches in 2009, compared with only 147 in 2007. (An increase of 189%)
2009 SWATCH FIVB World Tour (two more tournaments still remaining in the season)
• As part of the record-breaking year, the FIVB secured multiyear deals in strategic countries and regions around the world such as Middle East, China, Sub-Saharan Africa, Eastern Europe, the US and Latin America guaranteeing long term television exposure.
• The number of international broadcasters increased from 24 in 2008 to 39 in 2009 with an average of 16 (up from 2 in 2008) broadcasting semifinals and finals live or near live.
• Live footage has been distributed in 2009 to 130 territories with highlights reaching 200 territories (In 2007 a combined total of 120 territories worldwide was reported).
Sports
Ashish Limaye bags gold and bronze at Montelibretti 2026 event
Indian rider shines in Italy, gains ground ahead of higher-level tests
MUMBAI: Ashish Limaye delivered a strong performance on the international stage, clinching both gold and bronze at the FEI Eventing Competition Montelibretti 2026 held in Italy earlier this month.
Competing against riders from across the globe, Limaye secured the top podium finish in the CCI 2 Long Format riding Easy Turn, registering a score of 30.2 in a field that featured participants from five nations. He followed it up with a bronze medal in the CCI 2 Short Format aboard Willy Be Dun, scoring 32 in a much larger and highly competitive pool of 66 riders representing nine countries.
Reflecting on the outing, Fédération Equestre Internationale event rider Ashish Limaye said, “Riding at Montelibretti was amazing. To compete with such talented riders from around the world was fantastic. I’m really happy with the results and the effort our team has put in.”
Beyond the podium finishes, Limaye also achieved a milestone result on D’Avril du Pinier, earning a Minimum Eligibility Requirement, bringing him closer to qualifying for the FEI World Equestrian Games.
While the Montelibretti competition was not a direct qualifier for major multi-sport events, it serves as a crucial stepping stone as Limaye prepares to move up to the more demanding CCI 3 level.
With momentum firmly on his side, the Indian rider now looks set to build on this success as he targets bigger stages in the global equestrian circuit.
