Rio mega-concert rocks 1.2 mil fans
World Brief
The Red Hot Chili Peppers closed the fest on Jan. 21, playing to the event's single largest crowd of 250,000.
America Online paid roughly $20 million to sponsor the event. Satcaster DirecTV Latin America acquired most of the TV rights for the region, though terms were not disclosed.
DirecTV aired all the concerts live on five channels for its 470,000 subs in Brazil, and broadcast a compilation of the best shows to the rest of Latin America.
Local broadcaster TV Globo aired an hourlong nightly program during the concert-fest series. Globo pay-TV programmer Globosat also showed the fest live on its variety pay-TV channel, which reaches 2.1 million subs.
Rock in Rio was on open and pay-TV channels in several countries outside Latin America. AOL Time Warner handled those rights. Event organizer Roberto Medina intends to organize a fourth Rock in Rio in 2003.
