Eurosport signs 2.5m sponsors for Euro 96

Eurosport has signed up about 2.5m worth of business with Coca-Cola, JVC, Carlsberg and General Motors to sponsor its coverage of the Euro 96 football championships, which kick off on June 8.

The four companies will be joined by Digital Equipment Corporation which will sponsor a league table charting daily events.

The channel’s director of sales and marketing, Tom Toumazis, says Eurosport will show all 31 matches and nine will be screened live.

“With a number of advertising restrictions affecting broadcasts in different European countries, we are positioning Eurosport as the channel to use to reach the Euro 96 audience,” he says. “Fifty million people tuned in for the World Cup and we expect 70 million will for Euro 96.”

In the UK, selected Euro 96 coverage will be carried by BBC and ITV.

Meanwhile, Eurosport has lured several first-time advertisers to run campaigns, including Hilton Hotels, Jamieson’s whisky and Pirelli tyres.