Lausanne, September 28, 2009 – The FIVB is extremely proud to report that its inaugural year in partnership with leading sports, entertainment and media company IMG has returned record-breaking television numbers for the 2009 SWATCH FIVB World Tour and the 2009 SWATCH FIVB World Championships in Stavanger, Norway.

With two SWATCH FIVB World Tour events still to be held, Beach Volleyball worldwide total revenues in 2009 are already 180% higher than in 2007 – the last year in which the Beach Volleyball World Championships and World Tour were played together, and 130% higher than in 2008 when just the World Tour was played.

“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,” FIVB President Mr. Jizhong Wei said.

“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% from the 2007 edition held in Gstaad, Switzerland where there were four.
• 40 international broadcasters showed action, marking an increase of 185% 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 groundbreaking multiyear deals in strategic countries and regions around the world such as Middle East, China, Sub-Saharan Africa, Eastern Europe, USA 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).

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For more information contact:
Richard Baker – FIVB Communications Deputy Director
DD. +41 21 345 3555
Fax: +41 21 345 3545
Email: richard.baker@fivb.org

About the FIVB – The FIVB is the governing body responsible for all forms of Volleyball on a global level. Working closely with National Federations and private enterprises the FIVB promotes Volleyball competitions and development activities as entertainment and promotional factors for the enjoyment of spectators and participants while satisfying sponsors’ needs. It aims to develop Volleyball as a major world media and entertainment sport through world-class planning and organisation of competitions, marketing and promotional activities. The FIVB is part of the Olympic Movement, contributing to the success of the Olympic Games.

About IMG Sports Media – IMG Sports Media is the world’s largest independent distributor of sports programming, distributing over 18,000 hours of content to major global broadcasters annually. This content originates from more than 200 clients and events including Wimbledon, The Australian Open, The ATP Masters Series, The R&A, International Rugby Board (IRB), Moto GP, National Football League (NFL) and the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB). IMG Sports Media operates from over 30 offices worldwide and has daily exchanges with over 4,000 key media contacts.