EURO 2008 INFO

The 2008 UEFA European Football Championship saw huge numbers of football fans visiting host countries Austria and Switzerland to watch matches between various European countries. However, for those who weren't lucky enough to be able to watch the big games live, watching on television was usually the next best thing.

During Euro 2008, games were broadcast live right around the would. A large number of broadcasters paid for the right to air the tournament on television and via the internet, knowing that it would bring in a significant numbers of viewers. For many people, watching at online was the most convenient way of staying in touch with the games events, as it meant they could watch while at work, or playing online games like Partypoker. Many public venues also made sure they would be showing the most important games, as it was a good way to attract extra customers.

In general, the television coverage was considered to be extremely reliable, with only a few exceptions. One of the more memorable examples of disruptions to this coverage was during the second half of the semi-final between Germany and Turkey, where a thunderstorm was responsible for broadcasting difficulties in the International Broadcast Centre. This means that some audiences missed viewing at least one of the goals of the match. In the UK, the BBC switched to using coverage from Radio 5 Live, whilst other countries relied simply on discussion from their presenters and panelists.

UEFA's broadcasting policy stated that each country should be able to watch their own country's team on free-to-air television, rather than on channels for which audiences would be required to pay a one-off or subscription fee. After the matches had appeared live, many highlights were also available to watch on sites like YouTube - you can even check out some of the most important goals on this site. It is evident from it's popularity that television and online broadcasting played a key part in all of 2008's European championship games.