One million people have now watched action from the Homeless World Cup 2016, in Glasgow, it was revealed today, 13th of July 2016.
This is an increase of more than 1000% on the 2015 tournament, which took place in Amsterdam. Viewers from over 120 countries have been enjoying the action, and behind the scenes stories from the most inspirational tournament on the planet
Supporters of the Homeless World Cup are being encouraged to donate – if they can – via donate.homelessworldcup.org.
After investing in this year’s coverage – with significant value in kind support from host broadcaster QTV Sports – and launching a new content media strategy, the Homeless World Cup is now engaging with more people across the globe than ever before.
Every game is live online, with broadcaster Rory Hamilton leading the tournament’s commentary team, and a staff of 30 working behind the scenes to curate and publish the best content to social media 24-hours-a-day.
QTV Sports, working in partnership with colleagues at Grabyo (content duration) and Eversport (international distribution) has played a leading role.
Agreements with STV and Unilad have also been vital to the success of the digital tournament, so far.
Robert Snodgrass and Gemma Fay reveal the 51 participating nations who will take part in the 2016 Homeless world Cup in Glasgow in 10-16 July
Scotland’s leading commercial broadcaster is delivering over 10 hours of live TV coverage, in addition to extensive online coverage. STV’s coverage is also being taken by over 10 different city channels based in England and Wales.
Unilad is showing a game every day on its football Facebook page, and is set to show the final on its “main” Unilad page, currently followed by 14 million people.
As of today, the most watched video on Facebook and Twitter featured the brilliant indomitable spirit of Greek goalkeeper Stella as she made save after save against Argentina, much to the delight of the crowd. Content is also driving media coverage with outlets across the world following up on some of the best goals and magic moments.
The Homeless World Cup is comprised of 416 games across more than 50 countries, taking place in George Square, Glasgow. Matches last seven minutes each way, with a one minute half-time interval. Entry is free & no tickets are required, albeit it is expected at key times (particularly when Scotland play) it will be very busy so spectators should arrive in plenty of time for games they wish to see.
The Homeless World Cup is in Glasgow as part of a three way partnership between the Homeless World Cup Foundation, the Scottish Government (delivered via EventScotland), and Glasgow City Council (delivered via Glasgow Life).
M e l Y ou n g , President and Co-Founder of the Homeless World Cup says: “We are pleased to be able to reveal that one million people have now watched the Homeless World Cup – live or on-demand – here in Glasgow. “Our players, are remarkable ambassadors for humanity. That combined with a highly inventive content strategy has allowed us to talk about the issues around homelessness, but also – and this is so important – the many inspirational stories that make George Square such a special place right now.”
On his J a ck M cGill, Chief Executive at QTV Sports says: “We’ve created a real end to end content strategy which has enabled us to deliver to the widest possible audience across multiple platforms. Combining amazing stories, brilliant games, and our ability to turn content around quickly to relevant channels has ensured that we’re able to show the world that this is a truly amazing event.”
P a u l B u sh OB E , VisitScotland’s Director of Events, said: “Not only is this event expected to attract 100,000 spectators over the course of the week, it has already achieved an incredible online viewing figure of 1 million people. There is no doubt that the Homeless World Cup will further establish Scotland and Glasgow as a truly inspirational place to be and I would encourage everyone to take in some of the action over the next few days whether that’s online or in person.”
Cou n cillor A r ch ie Gr a h a m OB E , Depute Leader of Glasgow City Council and Chair of Glasgow Life, on his part said: “The viewing figures are simply phenomenal and we’re delighted that so many people both at home and across the world are tuning in to see these inspirational players in action. Glasgow’s George Square has been transformed into an outstanding arena of fierce, but friendly competition. The people of this great city have taken the Homeless World Cup to their heart and yet again we are showing what we do best on a local and international stage.”
