From August 10-16, the European Athletics Championships were held for the first time in the United Kingdom. Celebrating 30 years of partnership with European Athletics, SPAR leveraged this premier sporting event to showcase the brand while connecting with local communities through bespoke activation.

Record-breaking Championships

The seven days of action saw 11 Championship records set, including two of the longest-standing records, 48 years old, broken. On the track, Sweden’s Andreas Almgren set a new championship record of 27:23.44 in the 10,000m. Ireland’s Mark English set a new 800m championship record with a 1:43.49 performance in the semifinals. Switzerland’s Audrey Werro won the 800m women’s final in 1:54.81, becoming the first woman to break the 1:55-barrier in European Athletics Championships history.

Italy topped the medal standings with 22 medals, while the British team, led by sprint star Amy Hunt, who won four gold medals during the Championships, finished with 19.

Extensive media coverage

The media showed great interest in the European Athletics Championships. The Championships were televised in 35 countries across 40 national broadcasters, with millions of viewers tuning in. In the UK, the BBC achieved a 20% market share on the evening session of Day 2. RAI coverage in Italy, sponsored by DESPAR Italia, saw its market share exceed 10%. Coverage by YLE in Finland resulted in a 75% market share during peak viewing, and NRK Norway’s market share exceeded 65% of prime-time coverage. This media interest also extended to print, digital and on-demand services, including the European Athletics website live stream and social media coverage, bringing the action to fans.

Celebrating 30 years of SPAR and European Athletics

This year, SPAR is celebrating 30 years as Principal Partner of European Athletics. Since joining forces in 1996, SPAR and European Athletics have built a partnership rooted in shared values: supporting communities, encouraging active lifestyles, and connecting people through sport.

The connectivity between people was evident in the campaigns run by SPAR country organisations, bringing the Championships to consumers and giving winning shoppers the opportunity to see the action themselves.

Sources: European Athletics, SPAR UK, SPAR France, SPAR Ireland, SPAR Netherlands