Romania at Euro 2024: Impact on communication and TV audiences

Romania’s national football team stands as a strong symbol of unity for Romanians, as highlighted in our Euro 2024 study conducted this summer. Building on these findings, we delved into additional trends that emerged during the European Football Championship. Here’s what we found.

Significant growth in TV audiences at Euro 2024 thanks to the participation of the Romanian national team

The Euro 2024 European Football Championship saw a remarkable increase in TV audiences compared to the previous edition. A key factor behind this increase was the participation of the Romanian national team after its absence from Euro 2020.

“Interest in the national team remains strong even after the conclusion of the European Championship. Romania’s matches in the UEFA Nations League this fall continue to draw impressive audiences, reflecting fans’ unwavering support and enthusiasm for the players from the comfort of their TV screens.” said Irina Drăghici, Category Insights Specialist at Starcom Romania.

TV advertising during matches and broadcasts 

Sports betting brands continue to be the main investors in commercials aired during live Euro matches, albeit with a smaller share than in the previous edition. On the other hand, construction and home improvement brands, along with Dante Group, have increased their investment in Euro 2024. In contrast, household equipment decreased their advertising presence. Sports betting also dominates investments in post-match analysis broadcasts, while retail, health/pharma and beverage brands are also present in live broadcasts and cosmetics presence has increased compared to the last edition.

Romania at Euro 2024

Romanians have found hope by watching and supporting the ‘Generation of Soul’ on their journey to Euro 2024. This enthusiasm generated the best TV ratings of the entire competition. The golden moment, with the highest audience, was the match Romania – Netherlands, when more than 5.3 million Romanians across the country supported the national team in front of their TV sets.

Supporting the national team

National team sponsors enthusiastically supported the players throughout the Euro 2024 competition. The general feelings of positivity and encouragement were also reflected in their social media posts dedicated to Romania’s football team. Both the national team and the supporters were praised for their strong and combative spirit.

Supporter interaction

Supporter interaction with social media pages was stimulated through competitions, discounts, match tickets, supporter kits, promotions, trivia and news.

“On the occasion of EURO 2024, we conducted a study to evaluate the effectiveness of a series of campaigns running during the event. The chosen campaigns came from the FMCG sectors, including chain stores, beer and crisps, and the betting industry. Our aim was to analyze the impact of these campaigns on brand and consumer perceptions”, said Mirela Enache, Media Research Specialist, Starcom Romania.

Methodology

The study “Euro 2024: Ad Impact, TV & Online results” was conducted by media agency Starcom Romania, in August 2024, using the CAWI (Computer Assisted Assisted Interviews) method on a nationally representative sample of 1200 Romanians aged 18+ years old. The extended version or additional information can be requested at consumer@starcomww.com.

About HumanGraphExperience

HumanGraphExperience is a series of monthly infographics, based on quantitative studies, analyzing the characteristics of target groups in relation to specific product categories (sweets, beer or luxury consumption), a specific occasion (Easter, Christmas, Black Friday) or a new communication phenomenon (e.g. influencer marketing, technology adoption).

About Starcom   

Starcom Agency is part of the world’s largest media network, Starcom Worldwide. Founded in 2000, Starcom is the first Romanian media agency to be awarded at Cannes and other festivals such as Eurobest, Ad’Or, Golden Drum, Effie and Webstock. With almost two decades of experience in the Romanian communication industry, Starcom Romania offers its clients various specializations, such as Consumer Understanding, Innovation, Digital, Planning, Buying or Special Projects.

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