CONTRACTS worth more than £10million are to be awarded to two companies who will be part of a new European sporting event to be staged in Glasgow.

The Glasgow 2018 European Championships will combine the existing championships of athletics, aquatics, cycling, gymnastics, rowing and triathlon and a new team golf event and will have a potential TV audience of more than one billion across Europe in 35 countries.

On Thursday, the city council will be asked to give an £8million contract to Eurovision Production Coordination to provide the host broadcast service for the event.

The contract requires the host broadcaster to provide a programme package which will include full editorial responsibility for scheduling, audio-visual content and the overall look and feel of the broadcasts.

Eurovision Production Coordination is the production partner for a number of the world's elite sports federations and event organisers.

Members of the council's executive committee will also be asked to give a £2.5million contract for timing, scoring and results to Atos, an international leader in digital services.

It is also intended to appoint the company as the first official sponsor of the Glasgow 2018 European Championships.

Atos is the worldwide IT partner of the International Olympic Committee and International Paralympic Committee.

The global company has provided IT to the Olympic Games since 1992 and to the Paralympics since 2002 and played a key role in the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games.

A spokesman for the Glasgow 2018 European Championships said: "For spectators and athletes alike, the European Championships will create a new highlight on the international sporting calendar which will reach beyond the dedicated fans of the individual sports to the general public and a much broader audience.

"Working in partnership with the sports, we are creating a must watch, must attend experience that elevates the status of the European Championships."

More than 3000 athletes will visit Scotland for aquatics, cycling, golf, gymnastic, rowing and triathlon while a further 1500 will compete in Berlin as part of the European Championships.