Euro 2020 is already being credited with bringing unbridled excitement to football fans throughout the European continent. But there is a great deal of interest in this football tournament far beyond Europe’s borders.
A recent survey shows that Chinese football fans (87%) are interested in Euro 2020 to varying degrees, even though their team is not part of the competition. The survey conducted by Statista and Sportfive looked at how football fans are preparing for the long-awaited return of European national football and in which countries the fans are most enthusiastic about one of the biggest football events of the season.
In European countries, French football fans (85%) are most interested in EURO 2020, followed closely by Italy (82%) and Germany (81%).
The fact that interest among Chinese fans surpasses the aforementioned European stats isn’t exactly a new trend. During the Euro 2016 final, 56 million football fans from China tuned in to watch the game. That accounted for more than 10% of the total 424 million viewers from around the world. It should come as no surprise if this year’s numbers go well above 60 million.
It’s not just football fans who are following Euro 2020 in China. Big businesses like Hisense, Vivo, and Alipay are heavily invested in the tournament. Both the tech giants and the online payment platform are sponsors of the tournament, with Alipay’s contract extending to 2026 and including the Euro 2024 tournament. Alipay is believed to have paid £176 million for the eight-year deal.
The Euro 2020 was organized under challenging circumstances. Hindered by the global pandemic, the tournament got rescheduled for 2021, but the format where matches are played in 11 European cities remained unchanged despite concerns about COVID-19 infections.
If you’re planning to test your football knowledge by placing a bet at one of the popular betting sites, it’s worth knowing that Christiano Ronaldo is currently the top scorer, while France, Italy, and England are the favorites.
