After just two events of the 2009/10 IRB Sevens World Series, early indications are that Rugby Sevens has gained further ground in the eyes of international broadcasters.

In October, the IOC Session in Copenhagen voted Rugby Sevens into the Olympic Games in 2016 and 2020, with the sport set to make its much-anticipated debut in Rio.

Since then, the sport has exploded in popularity and interest and the opening two legs in Dubai and South Africa suggest that the sport will enjoy new highs both in attendance and in television viewership. Over the course of the current season, figures for live and as-live broadcasting have far outstripped the record numbers recorded for the two events in 2008.

Figures released by the IRB's broadcast management and distribution partner, Pro-Active Television, indicate that in Dubai the total number of live television hours rose from 156.5 to 188 - a 20% increase.

For the second event in George, South Africa, the total number of live televised hours rocketed by 32%, from 115.5 last year to 152 hours.

This was largely down to the increased appetite from new broadcasters taking the live pictures in the wake of the Olympic Games decision, and the global success of Rugby World Cup Sevens 2009. "Rugby Sevens continues to go from strength to strength and now that it has received the ultimate seal of approval from the IOC, the sky is the limit. Its winning formula of non-stop, competitive action, world class athletes and a festival atmosphere has proven a major hit again so far this season with broadcasters," said IRB Chairman Bernard Lapasset. "A lot of the best action delivered so far has come from teams representing exciting emerging markets like USA, Russia and Kenya, who are all already more than a match for the more traditional Rugby nations like New Zealand, South Africa, England and Australia. That, in turn, means that the sport is very attractive across the board." Another major success story for the sport has been the addition of ESPN 360 as one of those new live broadcasters, taking the pictures to over 50 million houses in the USA.

The IRB Sevens World Series comprises eight tournaments in Dubai, South Africa (George), New Zealand (Wellington), the USA (Las Vegas), Australia (Adelaide), Hong Kong, England (London) and Scotland (Edinburgh).