The sports sector in Europe is highly organized with professional sports leagues for most of the games which are played here. Football, amongst all the other sports which are played, can be viewed as among the most popular sports played in Europe. The European football clubs are considered for being the best paid teams around the word owing to their strong standing in the overall game. The game almost has achieved a cult status amongst its followers.
The European club championship is called the UEFA Championship league and is one of the most esteemed tournaments amongst football clubs across the continent. Apart from participating in this tournament, national football clubs across Europe also take part in the UEFA European Football Championships which is considered to be the primary national championship for men?s football. Europe has also dominated the FIFA World Cup and it is viewed 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 some of the most prominent football leagues in Europe.
Amongst Mediterranean region, Basketball and Volleyball are sports of popular choice being played in countries like Serbia, Croatia, Russia, Greece, Italy and Spain. Another sport which is extremely 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 as well as in Scandinavia.
Cricket and Rugby as sports have retained and gained prominence primarily in the UK and the British Isles, Italy and France respectively. Cricket, which was once the summertime sport of the English, continues to be successfully imported to most regions of the globe, especially to regions that fell under the British Empire and developed hence. Though rugby is not as popular a sport in Britain anymore, it does have 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 as well as other games from England
Sky Sports gave lots of 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 in addition have focused on motorsports and golf, having taken the broadcasting rights of the A1 Grand Prix and also the PGA tour golf.
Eurosport sports channel is available across Europe in 59 countries in 20 languages making it perhaps the most popular sports news channel in Europe. Not only do they broadcast events such as the UEFA Champions League and UEFA cup in football but also air the prestigious Le Tour de France as well as other road racing events. Additionally they also cover tennis events like the French Open and also the World Snooker Championships. They also cover the Olympic games.