How Rupert Murdoch Changed Sports Media Forever
The UEFA Euro 2020 Championship is six days in and there’s already been plenty of drama and intrigue for the estimated 3.5 billion soccer fans watching around the world.
Following a win over Hungary on Monday, Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo removed two Coke bottles from the podium during his press conference. The star — who is worth $120 million and No. 3 on Forbes 2021 richest athletes list — is an advocate of a healthy diet and prefers water.
Ronaldo’s move just happened to coincide with a $4 billion drop in Coca-Cola’s market value. It did not, however, cause the drop.
On Tuesday, French star midfielder Paul Pogba — a devout Muslim — removed a bottle of Heineken beer during his press conference following France’s win 1-0 win over Germany, which only added to the “bottle-gate” frenzy.
Euro 2020 is also leaving its mark on TV networks and fans, who are each enjoying a viewership resurgence and historical performances.
- More than 15 million French viewers tuned into the country’s win over Germany.
- The match drew the highest TV ratings in France since 2018.
- Ronaldo became the greatest scorer in Euro history after his 10th and 11th tournament goals in the win over Hungary.
The tournament concludes July 11 with France, Belgium, and England the favorites to bring home the Henri Delaunay Trophy.
