14 June 2012 week 24 The “ultimate team” The European Football Championship on RTL Group channels France Belgium M6 and its presenters RTL Belgium awards fi rst are popular among viewers Marie-Rose Armesto scholarship India Luxembourg FremantleMedia opens Armand Thies new offi ce in Chennai is The One week 24 Cover: Montage with presenters from the Netherlands, Germany and France, dressed in the jersey’s of their national teams. 2 week 24 Eyes and ears on football Since the kick-off of the Euro 2012 on 8 June, RTL Group channels attract their audiences with various activities. M6 will air ten games live. Luxembourg - 13 June 2012 Throughout Euro 2012, M6 will also be airing two magazines: 100% Euro and 100% Euro avant-match. The daily live magazine 100% Euro presents viewers with an hour of the latest football news, looking back at the day’s main noteworthy events, showing key highlights of games and providing the news roundup Le Journal des Bleus from Poland and Ukraine. At the same time, 100% Euro will feature analysis and comments by studio guests and two zealous football pundits: the former Paris Saint-Germain Jean-Marc Ferreri, Thierry Roland, Jean-Michel Larqué coach Antoine Kombouaré and Norbert Tarayre, and Denis Balbir (from left to right) the Top Chef contestant whose cheeky sense In France, M6 has conjured up a full of humour lit up the programme, but for whom programme for viewers keen to watch the football has long been more than a passion. Euro 2012, offering coverage of the opening Each of these participants will share their own ceremony, live matches and magazines personal footballing experiences and knowledge with top-notch presenters. Indeed, especially for of the game with presenter Vincent Couëffé. the occasion legendary commentator Remarking on his new role in a piece Jean-Michel Larqué has joined M6 as well published in Télé Magazine, Antoine Kombouaré as former soccer champion and commentator said: “I’m really proud to have been chosen; Denis Balbir. Both will work with M6’s it’s an unbelievable experience. I really intend to experienced commentator Jean-Marc Ferreri. have fun, having been given free rein to talk about the game I love.” Jean-Michel Larqué has been in the business for over 30 years and has commentated six World Cups and seven European Championships, commentating on more than 1,000 matches across all competitions. As for Denis Balbir, who has been commentating on TV and radio since 1990, he is a fresh addition to M6’s team, bringing his passion for football and his unparalleled knowledge of the ‘beautiful game’. Jean-Marc Ferreri won 37 caps for France and started commentating in 1998 and has been working for M6 and W9 since 2006. These three commentators will in duo alternate coverage of the ten games aired by M6, including seven qualifying round games, two quarter fi nals (placed between 21 and 24 June) and one semi-fi nal (to be played on 27 or 28 June). Norbert Tarayre, Vincent Couëffé and Antoine Kambouaré (from left to right) 3 week 24 The other magazine, 100% Euro avant-match, ground to report from the German national will go out on M6 before group stage matches team’s camp, the stadiums and the host cities. featuring France, with Vincent Couëffé on hand live to comment, analyse the big issues and assess the French team’s chances just minutes before kick-off. So far M6 has achieved outstanding ratings. The opening ceremony, on 8 June was watched by 1.4 million viewers, giving the event an overall audience share of 13.5 per cent. The opening match, played out between Poland and Greece, which kicked off at 18:00, drew 2.8 million football fans, giving the game an audience share of 18.3 per cent among viewers aged 4 and above, and 31.1 per cent among men under 50 years old. As a result, M6 topped the ratings during this time slot. Paul Janke The second game aired by RTL Group’s French channel was the eagerly anticipated RTL Television’s early-morning weekday news ‘clash of the titans’ between Spain and Italy. show Punkt 6 presents two detailed Euro 2012 This mouth-watering contest, which kicked off sections during the course of each 90-minute at 18:00 on Sunday, 10 June, was watched show, with summaries of all the previous day’s by no fewer than 4.8 million viewers, giving matches, interviews, an outlook on the day the match an overall audience share of ahead and news from the German camp. 23.4 per cent and landing M6 the biggest Olaf Thon, a former national team player and audience of the day. Poland versus Russia, world champion, will be in the studio as the which aired during prime time on 12 June, was football authority. The Punkt 9 news show watched by 4.4 million fans, giving it a total also has a Euro section featuring Olaf Thon. audience share of 16.7 per cent. With an Punkt 12 will highlight events on the fringes audience share of 26.1 per cent among male of the Euro in Poland and Ukraine. A special viewers, M6 was the most-watched channel in section called Pauls Fußball-Flirt was created this demographic that evening. for the occasion: as a show that tends to be watched more by women, RTL Television’s But Internet users can also follow the action lunchtime journal has recruited Paul at Euro 2012 on the Web by going to M6.fr Janke, aka ‘The Bachelor’ as an expert and surfi ng the mini website devoted entirely who fulfi ls a dual purpose: as an active to Euro 2012 and the various programmes player, the 30-year-old from Hamburg is an covering the tournament. The Live Player expert on the game, and as a noted heart-throb function enables users to tune in live to games he knows how to inspire women – even for aired by M6, and the website’s video section gives football. As part of its daily sports coverage, them a chance to relive the highlights of games. RTL Aktuell will also provide extensive updates Likewise, the tournament can also be followed from the Euro, including live feeds from the in full on M6’s mobile applications for I-Phones venues and public viewings in Germany, match and I-Pads, as well as on M6 Replay. summaries and news from the German camp. Finally, RTL Nachtjournal offers a midnight Finally, M6 has also acquired the broadcasting summary of all the evening’s goals and key rights to 11 of the best matches at Euro 2016, moments. which will be hosted by France. N-TV will be on the ball with extensive Mediengruppe RTL Deutschland’s channels coverage of the Euro tournament as well. do not cover the matches live but are The channel hosts a daily reporting extensively from and about the Fußball-Frühstück (Football Breakfast) featuring year’s fi rst major sporting event. Info Network discussions with experts, reporters on the acquired the news access rights necessary ground, and the live broadcast of all press for comprehensive summary coverage across conferences from the German team. all news and information shows. Several N-TV’s reporters also serve up daily reports reporters from the sport pool will be on the from national team coach Joachim Löw’s 4 week 24 team and from the match venues, where months, RTL 4 will air a show on the topic of they capture moods and opinions from the sport. Naturally, the fi rst bloc of these will be all German camp, talk to fans and share compelling about football: through the end of June, RTL 4 and curious stories from Euro 2012. N-TV will will air a nightly special of the popular Voetbal broadcast all DFB press conferences live. International (VI) format, called VI: Oranje. In De Zomer Van 4: VI Oranje, Wilfred Genee, Johan Derksen and René van der Gijp watch the European championship matches – and especially the ‘Elftal’ – from the Kurhaus hotel in Scheveningen. Each day, they invite another guest. The show actually moved from its usual broadcasting slot on the men’s channel RTL 7 to the family channel RTL 4 for a month. The show’s relocation has already turned out to be a good move: on 9 June, as many as 1.6 million viewers tuned in – the match was watched by an average 1.1 million viewers, or 21.9 per cent of the 20- to 49-year-old viewer market. Birgit von Bentzel, presenting Fußball-Frühstück Meanwhile, Vox takes a slightly different look at the sport. From 24 June, it will devote a 6-part personality documentary called Lothar – immer am Ball (Lothar – Always On The Ball) to Lothar Matthäus, record national team player. In the series, the 51-year-old football legend provides a fi rst-ever glimpse into his daily routine. The documentary accompanies him to public events and private occasions, takes viewers on a trip down memory lane to his childhood, shows where he lives with his girlfriend Joanna in Budapest, and has Lothar Matthäus candidly about his wishes and goals. Johan Derksen, Wilfred Genee and René van der Gijp (from left to right) RTL Nederland’s Programming Director Erland Galjaard says: “The men in the discussion panel are on top form and harmonise very well with the guests and the atmosphere of the Kurhaus. Moving VI: Oranje from RTL 7 to the family channel RTL 4 has expanded the audience for the format just in time for the year’s major sport event.