Road Bike Racing - TdF compared to all world sports?

I've heard something to the effect that the Tour de France is like the 4th largest sporting event in the world in terms of amount of viewers/spectators?

It's probably the largest sporting event where you can watch it live in person for free. I know the World Cup Football is huge, F1 might be up there, the Olympics is big, but all of them you have to pay to watch live.

Just wondering, anybody have a link to the biggest sporting events in the world?

Jay

Largest single day sporting event:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/sports/autorace/longterm/1999/indy500/facts.htm

Attendance record for womens sporting event:
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/030811/nym034_1.html

There were no documented records that I could find for team attendance records that were of a world wide scale. Most were for cities or buildings which as ridiculous as it sounds pro wrestling holds some.. From what I saw FIFA World Cup Soccer holds those records. As far as attendance for sporting events period well then the Olympics has those wrapped up.

I've heard something to the effect that the Tour de France is like the 4th largest sporting event in the world

Heck, 600,000 people on Alpe d'Huez this year alone would rank the Tour right up there (not that I, Cipo, would know, as I so loathe those mountain climbs ;) ).

But for sheer global awareness, I would have to say the Tour ranks in the Top Three, along with the Olympics and the World Cup. Whenever I wear one of the t-shirts I picked up from the Boutiques Officielle at this year's Tour (thanks to Jean-Marie LeBlanc, I had to slum it with the common people ;) ), people always comment. I'm sure there are quiet corners of Africa and Asia, where, if I wore the t-shirt, the locals would recognize the Tour.

I'd be interested to see worldwide television audience numbers for the various sporting events.

The world cup is by far the largest sports event in the world. 1 billion people watched the final match during the last world cup.

Second would probably be the olympics.

It would be cool to hear from someone who's lived someplace outside of North America and Europe who's able to tell us if people there actually pay attention to the TDF.

They do in South America.

They went nuts in Columbia when Victor Hugo Pena got the yellow jersey. The Columbians I sat next to last weekend at the US Grand Prix saw my US Postal Pro Cycling Team jacket and we had a lengthy conversation about cycling. Monday, I was in the bike shop and had about 20 folks in from Columbia, Guatemala, Mexico, and Brazil and bought up everything we had with Postal or Tour logos.

It is also huge in Mexico. As is mountain biking.

But remember that the Tour is free to spectators and done in July when the entire country of France is on vacation. Would you get 600,000 on d'Huez if they had to pay $75 to $150 (Indy 500 prices) to watch?

For longer events like the Olympics and the World Cup, the Tour is probably third. But it's a very close third.

Indy gets about 300,000 for one day. We also get about 250,000 for the NASCAR race (Brickyard 400), and then topped it off with about 120,000 last weekend at the F1 race. And on top of that, over a four day period draw about 130,000 to the US Nationals NHRA event.

Originally posted by Laggard
I'd be interested to see worldwide television audience numbers for the various sporting events.

The world cup is by far the largest sports event in the world. 1 billion people watched the final match during the last world cup.

Second would probably be the olympics.

It would be cool to hear from someone who's lived someplace outside of North America and Europe who's able to tell us if people there actually pay attention to the TDF.

Accoriding to info we saw here last weekend, each F1 race has about 300 million viewers. One example.

Originally posted by Laggard
I'd be interested to see worldwide television audience numbers for the various sporting events.
It would be cool to hear from someone who's lived someplace outside of North America and Europe who's able to tell us if people there actually pay attention to the TDF.

Report from Tanzania:
Practically everyone (except remote villages) will know who won the World Cup in a few hours and ALL middle class watch the world cup. My nephews AND nieces can rattle of the players' names of most Premier league teams.

In my town of probably 100 know of the tdF and 40 of those belong to the local bike club. During the tdf it is shown live on west african french channels via satelite, and South Africa show it later at night. But that is via satelite. Local tv would show the world cup games live, without commericals i might add.

Today on a morning club ride I found myself next the the local hot rider and i wasn't out of breath so I asked him if he had followed the Vuelta. He started to get excited and describing about Heras' TT. He doesn't know much English but somehow he follows on the Internet each day.

In short East africa follows Football(soccer) and little else.

erik

In car racing you see them go by more then once.Soccer is a full game.TDF is you see each guy go by once and thats it.I guess thats ok for free.Better viewing on tv like most sports.

Depends on what kind of bike race it is or the car race (WRC, for example) But of course, when you watch it on TV, you miss the excitement and the fans and/or the publicity caravan. I guess the best of both worlds would to be at the finish of the TdF where there is the big jumbotron and you get to see the riders go by.

Jay

You also miss the public bathroom,way over priced food and drink,rude people,hot babes walking around.Wait,have i been missing something?

Search some old Velonews.com listings. They just listed the viewership for the Veulta, which was something like 47 million over the three week tour (congrats to Heras on a memorable win!!). My guess is they posted the same thing shortly after the most recent TdF.

Drop in the bucket if the world series is boston and the cubs.All time viewing record and tickets will go for a mint.