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SPORTEL 2010THE FIGURE THAT WAS oneveryone’s lips this year was therecord-breaking 106 millionaverage audience US network CBSattracted to its coverage of the NFLSuper Bowl in January. But this wasby no means an isolated example.Still in the US, the VancouverWinter Olympics delivered 20million viewers on 15 occasions forNBC. To put that in perspective,NBC exceeded this score only 12times during the whole of 2009.Meanwhile, the FIFA World Cupturned in a terrific performancefor Disney-owned network ABCand Spanish-language channelSuper Bowl audience one of 2010’s many viewing records - Getty Images SportLIVE SPORT STILL REIGNS SUPREMEAndy Fry reviews therights trends and majordeals from around theworld in the past yearand sees how TV ratingsemphatically confirmedthe value of live sport toleading broadcasters.Univision. All told, 24 millionUS viewers watched Spain defeatHolland in the Final, puttingsoccer on a level with Major LeagueBaseball’s World Series.Strong viewing figures, manymore of which are on pp. 50-51,demonstrate that a successfulshowing by local talent can workwonders for ratings. In Spain,Telecinco’s share on World Cupfinal day was 80 per cent.You could see a similar trendduring the 2009 World BaseballClassic when Japan versus Koreadelivered a 37.8 rating in Japan (thehighest-rated sports event since the2006 WBC, including the 2008Beijing Olympics).The reason for dwelling on thesenumbers is that they have seriouscommercial implications. For astart, content which is imperviousto digital fragmentation is highlydesirable to advertisers, which iswhy CBS was able to command$3 million for a 30-second SuperBowl ad. It’s also very attractiveto pay-TV platforms, which havemanaged to strengthen theirposition during the recessionthanks (in no small measure) tosport. Consider the situation inthe UK, where sport has enabled40 SportBusiness International • No.161 • 10.10