The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and the European Union of Gymnastics (UEG) have reached a 4 year agreement for exclusive worldwide media rights on all platforms (radio, television and digital) as well as a services partnership. It prolongs the current UEG/EBU agreement, for the period 2017-2020 covering 10 championships and including all Men's and Women's European Artistic and Rhythmic Championships.
This deal takes the organisations’ 30-year relationship to a new level, co-operating on the presentation of European Gymnastics to the future audiences in a multi-platform approach.
The UEG’s 2018 European Artistic Gymnastics Championships will also be integrated in the European Sports Championships, joining the prestigious line up of leading sports who will stage their European Championships together in 2018 for the first time in their history, through an exclusive agreement with the EBU.
Full service!
Eurovision, the EBU’s operational arm, will be the UEG's exclusive service provider for worldwide distribution as well as the main sponsor for all the UEG European Championships.
This agreement also includes the live broadband streaming of all European Artistic and Rhythmic Championships. This initiative is part of the cooperation with the UEG to further develop its digital strategy and increase the visibility of Gymnastics, one of the Top 3 of the most viewed disciplines of the Olympic programme.
A long term vision.
The EBU and the UEG express their will through this agreement to follow the evolution of the expectations expressed by the public and give the corresponding gymnastics formats. This vision in the long run will meet these expectations and to give this sport the content expected by viewers, listeners and the growing number of Internet users.
EBU Director Sports & Business Stefan Kürten said:
The extension of our relationship with the UEG is great news for our viewers. This global partnership enables the EBU, its gymnastics Members and Rights Holders around the world to bring European gymnastics to an enlarged audience and to serve the best interests of the sport and of our partner, the UEG
EBU Head of Sports Rights - Indoor Sports, Ingolfur Hannesson, added:
This partnership renewal is based on a global multi-services approach from content creation to worldwide distribution. Through the EBU viewers are guaranteed maximum free-to-air access and increased visibility of the sport. Through the development of our digital partnership, both the EBU and the UEG are enabling this powerful and at the same time graceful sport to reach new and younger audiences
For his part, the President of the UEG, the Frenchman Georges Guelzec, commented the agreement as follows:
We are delighted with the renewal of this contract. It highlights the trust and dialogue that have characterised our relationship for the three past decades. It fully meets with our will to build relationships with real partners, merging our skills to common goals and in the long term. Gymnastics, a true telegenic sports, will mett the challenges of a dynamic sports market and the audiovisual revolution in full
Note to editors:
About the EBU
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) is the world’s leading alliance of public service media (PSM). We serve 73 Active Members in 56 countries that run over 780 TV and 1040 radio services and broadcast in 123 languages to a potential audience of 1.03 billion people. An additional 21 Associate Members operate in Asia, Africa and the Americas. The EBU operates EUROVISION and EURORADIO.
EBU Media contact
Dave Goodman
Communications Officer
+41 79 634 9097
About the UEG.
The European Union of Gymnastics (UEG) is a nonprofit association, according to the Swiss law. It is the exclusive governing body for gymnastics in Europe. Established in 1982, the UEG is one of the four continental gymnastics unions of the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG).
The UEG governs eight disciplines: Gymnastics for All, Men's Artistic, Women's Artistic, Rhythmic, Trampoline, Aerobic, Acrobatic Gymnastics and TeamGym. The UEG counts 48 national member federations, more than a third of the FIG total affiliated.
The UEG has its international seat in Lausanne (SUI), the home city of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and boasts a 6-persons staff.
UEG Media contact
Tina Gerets
Head of Media