The Aviva Open 2005 grand prix badminton tournament has become the best-attended sporting event in Singapore, watched by some 30,000 spectators.
The Aviva Open 2005 grand prix badminton tournament has become the best-attended sporting event in Singapore, watched by some 30,000 spectators.
Aviva sponsored 100 junior shuttlers and their parents to watch the final. On the final day, 5 July, the stadium was packed with an audience of 8,200, including members of the IOC committee. The carnival-like atmosphere reflected the life, vitality and health of the Aviva brand.
The 2005 audience exceeded 2004 by more than 20%, making the event not only the best-attended sporting occasion in Singapore, but also the most-watched. More staff, channel partners and brokers attended this year and the tournament exceeded expectations of Aviva branding, entertainment, attendance and atmosphere.
The live broadcast reached more than 200 million households across 12 countries, including India, China, Hong Kong, France, Australia and Russia. And a last-minute deal meant the event also reached more than 95,000 UK homes.
Badminton has become a popular TV sport as a result of the Olympics. Viewing figures have risen steadily since it became an Olympic sport at the Barcelona Games in 1992.
"Badminton is a key sport in Asia," said Charles Anderson, managing director, Aviva Asia. "Over 50% of the world's top-ranked players are Asians and our association with the sport fits well with our objective of being a leading player in the insurance sector in countries such as Singapore and China."