Olympic Games see low viewership worldwide

Athletes from across the globe are currently competing at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing, China. Photo collage by DANIEL PEARSON, Photo Editor

As the 2022 Winter Olympic Games hits the halfway point, viewership has been lacking. Approximately 12.3 million viewers are tuning in each night to NBC, which is equivalent to about half of the viewership the station saw for the 2018 games in Pyeongchang, South Korea at the same point.

Although the winter games only happen every four years, students told The Panther they find themselves less invested than  when they were younger and watching the games from home.  

In the age of social media and the rise in popularity for streaming services, senior business administration major Taylor Sell says it's not as realistic to watch every event on cable TV.  Many students opt for quick highlight videos of big events on social media of winning athletes or just watch something else more accessible. 

“I was going to watch the Olympics, but then I ended up watching a Netflix show,” Sell said.  Sell said that, “having cable isn’t a common thing to have during college,” and is losing popularity due to streaming services like Netflix or Hulu. 

Stand out athletes in the games include Nathan Chen — a gold medalist figure skater who trained in Irvine, Calif. — and Erin Jackson, who made history when she won gold in the women's 500m speed skating event for the U.S.. Jackson became the first American to win this event since 1994, and the first Black woman ever to win an Olympic speed skating medal. 

Despite these highlights, the games have not been popular this year. Theories for low ratings include the 13-hour time difference between Beijing and the East Coast, a controversy over China’s human rights record, fewer fans attending due to COVID-19 restrictions and potential viewer fatigue with a second Olympics just six months after the summer games.

In an Instagram poll done by The Panther, 44 respondents voted that they would be tuning into the games, while 77 said they wouldn’t be watching at all.

For many students, the Olympics are less about watching the sporting events and more about what the international competitions bring to their communities. 

“Ever since I was old enough to understand what the Olympics are, I have watched it religiously at home with my mom,” senior communication studies major Alexandra Ergas, an international student from Vancouver, Canada, told The Panther. “My family gets super into it; everyone (in the Vancouver area) has that Canadian pride and wears their Team Canada shirts.”

In 2010, the winter games were held in Vancouver, and Ergas said that, ever since then, she has seen how in the years following, the community continues to grow in support for their athletes. 

While 206 nations had athletes competing in the most recent summer 2021 Olympic Games, only 84 countries are being represented in the winter games in Beijing. Additionally, the summer games typically draw in more fans than the winter events. 

Ergas trained in figure skating for 15 years, adding to her special fondness toward the winter events. Ergas emphasized how Canadian fans get much more excited about the winter games despite the summer games’ heightened popularity in the U.S.

“I wish we could just have it playing on our TV all day; that's what my family would do at home,” Mimi Carr, a senior strategic and corporate communication major told The Panther. “The Olympics make me nostalgic because my mom would always host watch parties (during the summer games) since she is such a big sports fan.” 

Ergas said she and fellow students prefer to tune into the events that they have a connection to, whether that be because they grew up playing that sport or are in support of a standout athlete competing.  

“Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir are Canadian figure skating gods,” Ergas said.“Growing up I wanted to be Tessa Virtue … I looked up to her so much, especially when I was training in figure skating.”

Currently Norway, Germany and the U.S. are leading the games in medals. The 2022 Winter Olympics will conclude Feb. 20.