This paper investigates the best cell-common reference signal (RS) structure and transmit diversity scheme for Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service (MBMS) signals considering frequency diversity in a single-frequency network (SFN) in the OFDM based Evolved UTRA downlink. Link-level simulation results show that cyclic delay diversity (CDD) is the most promising transmit diversity scheme for the MBMS signals considering the RS overhead. It is also elucidated that the required average received signal energy per symbol-to-noise power spectrum density ratio (E_s/N₀) using CDD is reduced by approximately 0.5dB even though the MBMS signal obtains a sufficient frequency diversity gain in SFN operation. Furthermore, we clarify the achievable data rate for the MBMS signal at the cell edge of the centered MBMS cell that satisfies the required block error rate (BLER) using two-antenna transmit CDD and diversity reception by system-level simulation. Then, the simulation results show that the offered data rates with the required BLER of less than 10^-2 at 95% coverage are 0.211 (0.17), 0.243 (0.196), 1.168 (1.084), and 2.754 (2.754)bps/Hz with the number of cells providing MBMS, N_MBMS = 1, 3, 21, and 57, respectively, employing transmit CDD with two antennas (single-antenna transmission) for ISD = 500m.