Daily Research News Online no. 3196 - Euro 2004 Compulsive Viewing for Brits

Euro 2004 Compulsive Viewing for Brits

June 14 2004

English football fans finding it hard to concentrate on work anyway this morning may be interested in some pre-tournament findings from HI Europe. A poll conducted in May reveals that well over half (58%) of British people intend(ed) to watch some or all of UEFA Euro 2004 on TV, including almost half of women.

Women aged under 24 are more likely than older women to watch the games - 72% intend to watch one or more and 38% 'will watch as many games as possible'. Seventy per cent of men intend to view some or all of the games.

France was seen as the team most likely to win Euro 2004, according to survey respondents (23%) with England in second position (18%), despite the fact that bookmakers had England as joint fourth favourites for the competition. Italy is third, way behind on 4% and 44% have 'no idea'.

Whether the holders' position as favourites will have been boosted by last night's win or undermined by the fact that they came so close to losing their first match remains to be seen, and similarly it may be felt that by taking them so close England have proved they can perform at a high level. In the May survey, the most common feeling (39% of those with a view) was that England would make the semi-final, while only one in twenty (5%) believed that England would not survive the first round - perhaps demonstrating that England's performances under Sven have been enough to lift some of the prevailing cynicism of the previous few years.

Interestingly for those still seeing football as a working class preserve, households with an income above £50,000 a year (29%) are the most likely to watch as many UEFA Euro 2004 games as possible on TV, according to HI Europe, who cite the Premiership, Sky, ever-growing media coverage and Nick Hornby as drivers of middle-class interest.

'Do you intend to watch any of UEFA Euro 2004?'

	All Adults (n=2124)%	Men (n=958)%	Women (n=1166)%
Yes, I will watch as many games as possible	27	41	13
Yes, I’ll only watch the big games	13	14	13
Yes, I’ll only be watching the team I support	10	9	11
Yes, I’ll watch it when nothing else is on	8	6	9
No, I won’t be watching Euro 2004	41	29	52
Other	1	1	2
Base: All aged 16 and over

'How far do you think England will get?'

	Percent of All Adults Expressing a View (n=1419) %
They will win	21
They will lose in the final	7
They will get to the semi-finals	39
They will get to the quarter finals	28
They will not get beyond the first round	5

Base: All aged 16 and over who expressed a view

The survey was conducted via HI Europe's QuickQueryTM GB online Omnibus between 13 and 17 May 2004 among 2,124 people aged 16 and over. The company's web site is at www.hieurope.com

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.