Volume and Reach of Media Coverage

Group of runners taking part in a mass participation event

The amount of media coverage an event attracts is a key measure of its profile and popularity. But the nature of that coverage – where it appears and who it reaches – is just as important in determining the impact it makes.

As an event organiser, you therefore need to be able to evaluate all three elements to understand not only how much media coverage your event generated but also the extent to which that coverage enabled you and your stakeholders to achieve your strategic goals.

What to measure

Broadcast media

Analysis of broadcast coverage of a sporting or cultural event now needs to be segmented between linear television and digital platforms as streaming technologies have changed the way in which audiences watch, both live and increasingly on demand. Television audiences are easier to measure as typically only one or two broadcasters will hold rights to the event. Digital coverage can be harder to track as it may be split between the platforms of the official broadcaster(s), the property itself and third parties such as YouTube or social media providers.

The key measures of TV coverage and reach are:

  • Hours broadcast
  • Cumulative audience
  • Unique audience
  • Average audience
  • Peak audience

The cumulative figure here combines all audiences for all programmes broadcast around the event. The unique audience counts the number of individuals who watched any part of the event’s TV coverage, regardless of how many times they did so. Broadcasters also usually quote average and peak viewing figures as a point of comparison between events.

Equivalent metrics for streaming platforms are:

  • Hours broadcast
  • Number of digital broadcast views (ASOIF reference IM-B2.1)
  • Unique digital broadcast visitors
  • Average digital broadcast visitors
  • Peak concurrent digital views

The digital broadcast views figure is the total number of times video content from the event has been watched. The unique visitors total is the equivalent of the unique audience metric for TV coverage. Average visitor numbers are comparable to average audience data in TV and peak concurrent views measure the highest number of simultaneous stream requests at any point during coverage.

Print media and websites

Key measures of non-video media coverage across newspapers, magazines and websites include the following:

  • Number of articles published
  • Column inches
  • Segmentation of coverage (e.g. news stories v features)
  • Number and location of outlets reached
  • Circulation/website traffic figures

This data is most commonly sourced from media monitoring companies. However, many events will find these services too expensive for their budgets. If so, you can consider using the following indicators as proxy measures of media coverage and reach:

  • Number of accredited media representative attending the event (ASOIF reference IM-P2.1), potentially split by country of origin and type of media
  • Number of event-related articles (ASOIF reference IM-P2.2), potentially limited in scope to publications in key target markets

Your event website can be another useful source of data that provides a broad measure of reach especially. You should consider:

  • Number of visits
  • Unique number of visitors (ASOIF reference IM-P2.4)
  • Changes in visitor numbers over time

The overall number of visits your website receives is considered a key measure of audience size. The unique visitor total is equally important as it removes repeat viewers and enables comparisons with similar broadcast and streaming metrics. The change in visitor numbers over time is also useful in identifying the site’s most popular content or features. More detailed data such as page views, searches, time on site and exit pages can provide a richer measure of interest in the site and the content on it.

Social media

Social media has changed the way in which people follow and engage with sporting and cultural events especially, and is now the channel through which many of them reach their largest audience.  Recommended measures of social media reach are:

  • Number of followers of event accounts (ASOIF reference IM-SM1.1)
  • Number of followers of event participants (ASOIF reference IM-SM1.2)
  • Number of impressions of event-related content (ASOIF reference IM-SM2.1)
  • Number of event-related posts (ASOIF reference IM-SM2.2)
  • Number of engagements with event-related content, by platform (ASOIF reference IM-SM2.3)
  • Number of new contacts (audience growth) as a result of the event (ASOIF reference IM-SM2.4)

Social media reach can also be split into three categories, which offer additional insight into content discovery and likely strength of engagement with it:

  • Organic: The number of unique users that viewed a post on their newsfeed
  • Viral: The number of unique users that viewed a post shared by a friend
  • Paid: The number of unique users that viewed a post through an advertisement

Simple aggregation of data from across the main social media platforms will give you an indication of your event’s total reach – although this will be a cumulative figure rather than a measure of unique followers. It is important to consider that the value of social channels will vary between events according to the platform preferences of their target audience (which may also change over time).

  • Facebook fans + Twitter followers + Pinterest followers + LinkedIn followers + Instagram followers + TikTok followers = Total social media reach

Media coverage: How to measure it

Broadcast media

More than 85 countries worldwide have official TV audience measurement systems, and many rights holders require their broadcast partners to supply data from them. This is the most cost-effective means of sourcing basic information about TV viewing. Richer data, such as unique viewers, may need more specialised measurement, which will be more costly and available only through media evaluation and research companies. In the UK, for example, a licence fee is payable for access to data collected by the Broadcasters’ Audience Research Board (BARB).

There is no global standard for audience measurement: for example, BARB reports programme reach on a three-minute minimum viewing duration, but some rights holders do so on one-minute engagement. Longer viewing durations are associated with stronger levels of programme engagement. News programming is generally excluded from TV coverage analysis as non-core programming, unless it is specifically targeted for place marketing objectives. International audiences are expensive to measure and relevant only to the largest events. If you are looking to reach overseas markets through media coverage, the most cost-effective approach is to focus on the largest of these or ones you are specifically targeting.

Streaming audiences can be easier to measure than those of linear TV, although the availability of data will depend on the analytics systems broadcasters’ platforms have in place. Third-party channels such as YouTube also have a range of analytics features you can use to monitor the reach of content distributed through them.

A simple checklist to help you understand the level of broadcast media coverage measurement available to your event would include:

  • Can the channels broadcasting my event provide audience data?
  • Can my broadcast contracts include ‘proof of performance’ clauses focused on specific metrics?
  • How comparable to TV viewing data are the metrics used to track digital audiences?
  • Does my budget include licence costs (e.g. BARB) and analyst time?
  • Are stakeholders (e.g. sponsors) willing to share any audience research costs?
  • Which overseas markets are most important to my event’s objectives (and its stakeholders)?

Print media and websites

Media monitoring companies can track print and online media coverage of your event, not just in terms of what appears where but also its tone and sentiment. However, this data can be expensive to buy. If your event has a primarily local focus, you may be able to conduct some basic research yourself. There are some free tools you can use to do this, particularly for online coverage, or you could physically monitor key print publications for relevant news and features.

Google Analytics and other free tools will help you capture the data from your event website that will provide a measure of your owned media reach. Web analytics consultants can provide deeper insights for a fee.

Social media

Data on social media audiences, impressions and engagement is available through individual platforms’ own systems, or can be collated across channels using commercial analytics and content management platforms. For larger events, it may be worth commissioning specialist consultants to design bespoke solutions.

Media coverage evaluation in action

Case study: 2021 Rugby League World Cup

Case study: 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26)

Case study: 2022 UEFA Women’s European Championships

Case study: 2023 Eurovision Song Contest

Case study: 2023 BBC Radio 1 Big Weekend 

Case study: 2023 Wheelchair Rugby European Championships

Case study: 2023 Other Voices