Relief is close at hand for those sports junkies and couch potatoes who can scarcely bear to be away from their TV screens for such necessities as business travel -- at least if their business travel is within continental Europe.

Boeing said here that leading sports TV network Eurosport has been signed up as provider for its revolutionary Connexion by Boeing broadband "connectivity venture" for airline passengers, which it launched last April.

By 2002 passengers aboard any Connection by Boeing-equipped airliner will be able to call up pan-European sports programming and access multiple channels delivering multilingual regional sports programs.

Eurosport is the predominant sports channel in Europe, received by about 230 million viewers in 54 countries.

Sports fans won't be the only airline passengers able to while away their airborne time with Connexion by Boeing. Travelers will be able to choose between Internet surfing, E-commerce, live television entertainment, and shopping, travel and destination information.

Boeing has enlisted Alenia Aerospazio of Rome and Tokyo-based Mitsubishi Electric to provide technical and administrative support for Connexion by Boeing in Europe and Asia respectively, including the design and manufacture of phased-array antennas and supporting electronics, together with onboard modification and installation.

By Bob Rodwell