Figures for Sopot 2014 - the first competition covered within the new four-year broadcasting agreement between the IAAF and the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) covering the IAAF World Athletics Series - have been initially confirmed in the tens of millions across Europe and Africa.

The three days of competition in the Polish seaside resort, which climaxed with a world indoor record in the men's 4x400 metres relay, were broadcast in more than 200 countries worldwide.

"We are delighted that the expertise and dedication of our broadcasting partners EBU and Dentsu ensured the reach of the IAAF World Indoor Championships in Sopot, Poland, was truly global," said IAAF President Lamine Diack.

"Significantly, Sopot 2014 marked the commencement of our new broadcasting agreement with EBU.

"The preliminary figures for the audience, countries and number of hours transmitted represented a particularly encouraging beginning to that partnership.

"The IAAF is especially pleased that fans across Europe were able to watch the championships thanks to mostly free-to-air national agreements and Eurosport's pan-European coverage.

"We look forward with great confidence to four years of further cooperation with our broadcasting partners, an important period which significantly includes two editions of the outdoor IAAF World Championships, Beijing 2015 and London 2017."

The US team, which ran a 4x400m men's world record in Sopot, was watched by 'tens of millions' of TV viewers worldwide ©Getty Images

Broadcasters in 24 European countries and pan-European coverage offered more than 250 hours of transmission for the event in Sopot.

The IAAF partners the EBU for Europe and Africa and Dentsu for the rest of the world,

Extensive coverage was also achieved in Africa with free-to-air broadcasts in 19 territories as well as widespread pay-TV coverage across Sub-Saharan Africa.

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


Related stories
November 2011: EBU to have IAAF media rights for 2017 London World Championships