Royal Wedding Gets Massive Media Coverage

Photo: Robban Andersson, Expressen

No one in Europe could have missed last weekend's biggest news from Sweden: Crown Princess Victoria finally got her Prince Daniel. The wedding was watched with interest by royalists and republicans alike - and the media of course. TV4 broadcast before, during and after the wedding and was also a major partner for Love Stockholm 2010, the city festival held in conjunction with the wedding in Stockholm June 6-20.

"The TV4 Group had three  main elements in our involvement," says Anders Ribbing, project manager for TV4's partnership. "Most important was to elevate the event to a national level and transmit it to the greater Swedish public. That was why we had broad coverage of the event and the wedding itself, with a "wedding studio" on Skeppsbron in front of the Royal Palace, coverage on our morning programming and live concerts.

"The second part involved using advertising slots to market the event and its sponsors. Last but not least we had a big live event in Kungsträdgården across the water from the Royal Palace during the entire final week. This was in conjunction with other sponsors, including Canal+ and Expressen. But the high point was the wedding itslef - a fantastic finish that should motivate others to be partners in similar events in the future."

Expressens Editor-in-Chief Thomas Mattsson was invited to the wedding, as was TV4's CEO Jan Scherman. Mattsson says the atmosphere was nice in the Great Church where the wedding was held and many of the guests appreciated Expressen's reporting.

"We published an extra newspaper about the wedding every day for the week before the ceremony and had live broadcasting on web TV at our site every day - from helicopters for one," says Mattsson. "And on Sunday Expressen had the biggest circulation we've had in many years."

Bonnier Tidskrifter's S magazine also made history - the magazine was produced in a 24-hour period during the wedding festivities. Maybe not historic for a newspaper but record-breaking for a magazine. The editorial office's windows overlooked the street where the royal procession rode by. Pamela Andersson, editor-in-chief for S said she was "terribly proud" of what her editorial team accomplished over the weekend.

"They've performed under enormous time pressure, and truly lived up to what S stands for: attractive, smart, exciting and fast," Andersson says.

Morning papers Dagens Nyheter and Sydsvenskan covered the fesitivities as well, and DN had a special insert on Sunday about the wedding.