Beijing Olympics opening ceremony viewership down 43% from 2018

Beijing Olympics opening ceremony viewership down 43% from 2018

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Photo by Lintao Zhang/Getty Images

Friday‘s Winter Olympics opening ceremony drew nearly 14 million viewers on television, making it one of the least-viewed opening ceremonies on TV in Olympic history, according to numbers provided by NBC Sports.

Why it matters: This year’s games, like the summer games in Tokyo last year, are being impacted by a lack of fans and loved ones in stadiums that normally contribute to the excitement of watching the games live.

Details: Including viewership across digital platforms — like NBC’s streaming service Peacock and the NBC sports app — NBC Sports says the event drew 16 million viewers total.

  • That’s down about 43% from the 23.8 million people who watched the opening ceremony for the last winter games in Pyeongchang in 2018.

The big picture: TV ratings for the Olympics have been declining for many years, and pandemic has exacerbated that trend.

  • Ratings for the Olympic Games opening ceremony in Tokyo last summer were down 36% compared to 2016.
  • Broadcast and cable TV viewership has been declining for many years as more people adopt streaming alternatives.

Go deeper:

Sign up for our daily briefingMake your busy days simpler with the Axios AM and PM newsletters. Catch up on what’s new and why it matters in just 5 minutes.Catch up on the day’s biggest business storiesSubscribe to the Axios Closer newsletter for insights into the day’s business news and trends and why they matter.Sign up for Axios Pro RataDive into the world of dealmakers across VC, PE and M&A with Axios Pro Rata. Delivered daily to your inbox by Dan Primack and Kia Kokalitcheva.Sports news worthy of your timeBinge on the stats and stories that drive the sports world with the Axios Sports newsletter. Sign up for free.Tech news worthy of your timeGet our smart take on technology from the Valley and D.C. with Axios Login. Sign up for free.Get the inside storiesGet an insider’s guide to the new White House with Axios Sneak Peek. Sign up for free.Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everydayCatch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everydayWant a daily digest of the top Denver news?Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios DenverWant a daily digest of the top Des Moines news?Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with the Axios Des Moines newsletter.Want a daily digest of the top Twin Cities news?Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Twin CitiesWant a daily digest of the top Tampa Bay news?Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with the Axios Tampa Bay newsletter.Want a daily digest of the top Charlotte news?Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios CharlotteWant a daily digest of the top Nashville news?Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with the Axios Nashville newsletter.Want a daily digest of the top Columbus news?Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with the Axios Columbus newsletter.Want a daily digest of the top Dallas news?Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with the Axios Dallas newsletter.Want a daily digest of the top Austin news?Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with the Axios Austin newsletter.Want a daily digest of the top Atlanta news?Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with the Axios Atlanta newsletter.Want a daily digest of the top Philadelphia news?Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with the Axios Philadelphia newsletter.Want a daily digest of the top Chicago news?Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with the Axios Chicago newsletter.Sign up for Axios NW ArkansasStay up-to-date on the most important and interesting stories affecting NW Arkansas, authored by local reportersWant a daily digest of the top DC news?Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with the Axios DC newsletter.Photo by Lintao Zhang/Getty ImagesFriday‘s Winter Olympics opening ceremony drew nearly 14 million viewers on television, making it one of the least-viewed opening ceremonies on TV in Olympic history, according to numbers provided by NBC Sports. Why it matters: This year’s games, like the summer games in Tokyo last year, are being impacted by a lack of fans and loved ones in stadiums that normally contribute to the excitement of watching the games live. Details: Including viewership across digital platforms — like NBC’s streaming service Peacock and the NBC sports app — NBC Sports says the event drew 16 million viewers total.That’s down about 43% from the 23.8 million people who watched the opening ceremony for the last winter games in Pyeongchang in 2018.The big picture: TV ratings for the Olympics have been declining for many years, and pandemic has exacerbated that trend. Ratings for the Olympic Games opening ceremony in Tokyo last summer were down 36% compared to 2016.Broadcast and cable TV viewership has been declining for many years as more people adopt streaming alternatives. Go deeper: Winter Olympics opening ceremony kicks off Beijing GamesThe Omicron Olympics face the ultimate testExclusive poll: Why Americans are turned off by the Olympics

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