Check todays hot topics and new pictures Today is: 9 February, 2010
Beijing Olympics draws 4.7 billion television viewers

Beijing  - The 2008 Olympics drew an estimated television audience of 4.7 billion over 17 days, setting a new viewing record for an Olympic Games, market research firm Nielsen said on Friday.

The estimated audience from August 8-17 surpassed the 3.9 billion viewers for the whole of the Athens games in 2004 and the 3.6 billion who watched the 2000 event in Sydney, the company said in a press release.

About 94 per cent of China's 1.3 billion people watched some of the televised Olympic coverage, while Olympic viewing also reached 94 per cent in South Korea and 93 per cent in Mexico, it said.

Nielsen said its estimates were based on data sourced across 37 markets by its own companies and partner firms.

In an earlier report, Nielsen estimated that almost one third of the world's population - a little over 2 billion - watched the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics.

It said the highest audience reach for the opening ceremony was in the Asia-Pacific, where more than five in 10 people tuned in, followed by Europe, where 30 per cent of the population watched, and North America, at 24 per cent. (dpa)


Arsenal ready to go to war with Barcelona over Fabregas

Arsenal ready to go to war with Barcelona over FabregasLondon, Feb 9 : Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger and the board at Ashburton Grove are reportedly ready to go to war with Spanish giants Barcelona to ensure that skipper Cesc Fabregas does not leave.  Read more »

Premier League title is in Manchester United’s hands: Neville

Premier League title is in Manchester United’s hands: NevilleLondon, Feb 9 : Manchester United defender Gary Neville claims the Premier League title is back in their hands following Chelsea’s slip-up against Hull City on Saturday.  Read more »

Karthik, Raina and Sreesanth in squad for Kolkata Test

Karthik, Raina and Sreesanth in squad for Kolkata TestNagpur, Feb 9 : Shell-shocked by the massive loss to South Africa in the first cricket Test, the Indian selectors dropped two young seamers and brought in Dinesh Karthik and Suresh Raina to  Read more »

ECB may oppose Rajasthan Royals' tie-up with Hampshire

ECB may oppose Rajasthan Royals' tie-up with Hampshire  London, Feb 9 : England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is likely to oppose Rajasthan Royals' tie-up with Hampshire.

The Guardian reported that, as per the tie-up, both the  Read more »

Button’s worrying over lagging behind Hamilton may lead to “downward spiral”: Coulthard

Jenson ­ButtonLondon, Feb 6 : Reigning Formula One champion Jenson Button has been advised by his friend David Coulthard that he should not panic if he has to spend half of the season behind teammate Lewis Hamilton.  Read more »

Schumacher having fun, “sleeping like a baby” preparing for F1 return

Schumacher having fun, “sleeping like a baby” preparing for F1 returnLondon, Feb 6 : Seven-time Formula One world champion Michael Schumacher has said that he is having fun and “sleeping like a baby”, as he prepares for his F1 return.  Read more »