Popular sports and sports news services in the European Union
The sports sector in Europe is highly organized with professional sports leagues for the majority of of the games which are played here. Football, amongst all of the other sports that are played, can be viewed as as one of the most popular sports played in Europe. The European football clubs are believed to be the highest paid teams around the word because of their strong standing in the overall game. This game almost has achieved a cult status amongst its followers.
The European club championship is known as the UEFA Championship league and it is one of the most esteemed tournaments amongst football clubs throughout the continent. Apart from taking part in this tournament, national football clubs across Europe also participate in the UEFA European Football Championships which is regarded as being the principal national championship for men?s football. Europe has also dominated the FIFA World Cup and it is seen as worthy adversaries by their Latin American competitors.
The European Premier League, Spanish La Liga, the Italian Seire A, Russian Premier League, the French Ligue1 and the German Bundesliga are the most prominent football leagues in Europe.
Amongst Mediterranean region, Basketball and Volleyball are sports of popular choice being played in countries such as Serbia, Croatia, Russia, Greece, Italy and Spain. Another sport that is very popular in Europe is road bicycle racing. This sport finds its followers in France, Belgium, Germany, Spain Switzerland and many other countries.
Ice Hockey is popular mostly in East European countries and Scandinavia.
Cricket and Rugby as sports have retained and gained prominence primarily in Great Britain and the British Isles, Italy and France respectively. Cricket, which used to be the summertime sport of the English, continues to be successfully imported to many regions of the globe, especially to regions that fell under the British Empire and developed hence. Though rugby isn’t as popular a sport in Britain anymore, it does carry a small following of rugby enthusiasts in Britain.
Some of the major sports news providers in Europe are ESPN, BBC Sport and Sky Sports. ESPN credits itself on being ?the worldwide leader in sports? and have a huge network that spans the globe. From covering the action in the football Premier League games to championships in tennis, hockey, motorsports, rugby, and many popular sports, ESPN broadcasts live sports from across Europe. ESPN Classic in Europe covers the FA Cup, European Cup, League Finals Cup along with some other games from England
Sky Sports gave tough competition to BBC Sport since its inception. They have played a huge role in the commercialization of British Sports. They also focus considerably on football but have also concentrated on motorsports and golf, having taken the broadcasting rights of the A1 Grand Prix and the PGA tour golf.
Eurosport sports channel is available across Europe in 59 countries in 20 languages which makes it probably the most popular sports news channel in Europe. Not only do they broadcast events such as UEFA Champions League and UEFA cup in football but in addition air the prestigious Le Tour de France as well as other road racing events. Additionally they also cover tennis events such as the French Open and the World Snooker Championships. In addition they cover the Olympic games.