UEFA scores a billion hits record

The official Euro 2008 site has attracted unprecedented traffic

UK fans have been following Euro 2008 online

The official site for Euro 2008 has recorded more than one billion page views since its launch in February, setting a record for the European Football Association (UEFA).

This month euro2008.com received in excess of 42 million users from more than 200 countries. The number of daily visitors has reached 4.3 million on select days, with up to half a million viewers watching streaming coverage of live football matches.

While there are still a few matches to be played before the tournament is complete, the increased site use amounts to a 250 per cent increase in traffic compared with euro2004.com

UEFA partly attributes the increase in visitor to increased video coverage. Matches can currently be viewed live, or through an on-demand service, or as part of free video podcasts with accompanying news and reports.

"The web is a great way to provide information to the millions of fans around the world, and combining it with the latest technology helps provide in-depth information for the new generation of football fans who are increasingly able to multi-task and browse multiple devices at the same time," said David Farrelly, editor-in-chief of the site's content team.

UK-based fans account for the largest proportion of visitors, with 15 per cent of the user base. Viewers based in the US and Germany both account for 8 per cent, followed by Canadian users with 5 per cent.