The European Athletics Indoor Championships 2021 were held earlier this month in Toruń, Poland. 682 athletes from 46 countries participated from 4-7 March - a record in the Championship's 36-year history. The competition featured 13 men's and 13 women's athletics events. With no spectators in the stadium, the teams provided great atmosphere and cheered on the competitors. The Netherlands team topped the medal table for the first time followed by Great Britain and Poland.

Media interest in the event was phenomenal with 190 media present onsite and 30 rights holders broadcasting dedicated coverage. Recognising the growing popularity of digital media, an EBU livestream platform brought the action to athletics fans.  Accessible in all markets, the platform registered over 1 million views, an increase of 900% over the European Athletics Indoor Championships of 2019.

Media calculations of broadcasts of the competition show wide interest, with sharp increases in both television hours and audiences. To mention just two examples, Italy increased viewing hours by 800% and Norway recorded just under 40% market share on the final day of competition.

Another example of digital platform growth is that 7.5 million views of video content was shown on social media platforms of the 1,390 videos available. The European Athletics Indoor Championships was a great start to the busy athletics calendar in 2021.

As principal sponsor since 1996, SPAR continues to support European Athletics, promoting healthy lifestyles from grass-roots upwards. SPAR had a strong brand presence with the SPAR athletes’ number bibs branding, dedicated signage in the stadium and through the overall event branding.

Upcoming competitions this year includes support for three youth Championships in addition to the super league events. For more information, visit the official website of the European Athletics. Experience the highlight video of some golden moments in this video.

Source: Source: European Athletics Association, SPAR International