A media analysis conducted by Nielsen certifies the success of last September’s event in Trentino: the estimated media value multiplied the investment by over thirty times. The European Road Cycling Championships was September 8-12. The exciting final day had over fifty thousand spectators cheering for Italian Sonny Colbrelli, winner in Piazza Duomo ahead of Belgian Remco Evenepoel.
Recognized by the UEC (Union Européenne de Cyclisme) as “the best European Championship ever organized so far”, the Trento event has left plenty of memories and emotions that did not fade even after two months. The huge impression of the event was strengthened by the media analysis run by Nielsen Media Research (NMR) that estimated the event’s media impact and value.
The presentation held at Palazzo Geremia, the main site of the Municipality of Trento, displayed the study’s result to the authorities, media, partner companies and stakeholders.
There were five days of competition with 13 titles up for grabs (6 men’s, 6 women’s and one mixed). A total of 768 athletes represented 39 nations. There were 439 team coaches and support people, and 130 media representatives. 1967 accreditations were handed out.
The impact of the European Championships is proving to be equally important, considering the thousands of sportspeople who followed the competitions “live” and the extensive program of 22 side events that entertained the city before and after the competitions. The overall data on hotel occupancy shows an increase of 20% in the city of Trento compared to the same period in 2020 and +15% in the surrounding areas, with an estimated turnover of 2.3 million euros just considering the teams’ stays.
Compared to an investment of 1.6 million euros (including organizational costs, professional fees, bidding fees and communication), the result produced, according to Nielsen, 48,494,868 euro the media value generated by the event, multiplying the value of the investment by more than 30 times.
The major television audience played a decisive role in achieving such important values. 15 broadcasters connected live, 71 countries covered in Europe and Asia, 20 hours of total production, of which 17 live. Almost 14 million hours of broadcasting were viewed (exactly: 13,977,777, compared to 9,971,011 in the 2020 edition and 11,031,661 in 2019) The total broadcast hours were 229:41:34 (vs 2020: 143:58:23; vs 2019: 101:34:10) of which 55:47:14 on Eurosport Pan-Europe.
Presentazione Trento
The Countries with the most viewing hours were in order: Italy, Belgium (share 35.9%), France, Netherlands, and Poland. The number of viewers who tuned in on the event for at least one minute of broadcasting time is 23,404,202 (vs. 2020: 14,198,424; the reach is calculated by defect, as the data was not provided by all broadcasters). This result refers only to the organization’s partner brands. If UEC and its partners (Alè and Vittoria) were added, the overall result would certainly be much higher.
The public’s appreciation was confirmed by the audience that the European Championships collected through digital communication. The event keeps growing after its conclusion: for example, Instagram followers at the end of the event were 3,000, while two months later (update 15 November) they are close to 9,800. A result to which the production of Instagram Reels is making a decisive contribution, with 3,474,794 views.
QUOTES
Roberto Failoni (Councilor for Sport and Tourism of the Province of Trento): “It’s easy to commentate figures like these. These results are actually stunning, and I believe they will ultimately convince even the most skeptical ahead of the event. We had amazing visibility, and that shows that the match between sports and tourism pays off in Trentino, this time more than ever.”
Franco Ianeselli (Mayor of Trento): “Before the event, there was a fair extent of worries, when you consider the extent of this commitment, but I was confident all the way. I thought this effort would pay off in the end, and now it’s very clear that it did. Our city embraced Europe in the most welcoming way, and was hugely rewarded.”
Enrico Della Casa (President of UEC – European Cycling Union): “What to say? It was a fantastic event, that collected appreciation from every direction, we had a record visibility also thanks to the spectacular courses, that still provided for a safe event without major accidents. On behalf of the UEC, I would like to thank Trento, Trentino and Italy.”
Maurizio Rossini (CEO Trentino Marketing): “The figures show this event was an excellent investment, crucial to further develop the relationship with the two-wheels world and sustainable mobility. We showed the beauty of Trento in its surroundings while generating an important economic turnover, even more significant after the pandemic. As usual with our sport events, we will cherish these memories and emotions through images that last in time.”
Franco Aldo Bertagnolli (President of Trento Monte Bondone Valle dei Laghi Tourism Board): “It was an extraordinary event, for sports and beyond: the significant turnover it generated on the territory is really rewarding. The European Champs were an amazing showcase for Trento, creating perspective for amateur cyclists to look to our reality: it’s a market worth 40 Million euros in whole Europe, and we look forward to collecting results in the medium-long term.”
Renato Villotti (President of Trento Eventi Sport): “The event’s balance is very positive from every point of view, and that confirms that investing in a sports event is always a sound choice. We wish to thank all those who believed in this project, and we are particularly happy to have given our partner a return that exceeded every expectation. The figures speak for themselves.”
Trento (Italy), November 16th, 2021
