Viewing figures from around the world on the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games are revealing the same kind of highs and lows as the sport itself delivered over the past two weeks.
Yesterday we shared the detail of RTÉs viewing figures and the record number of live streams delivered.
This morning we look at the contrast between Britain and the BBC and the United States’ coverage on NBC.
BBC
With more viewers seeking out live and on-demand digital content than ever before, the number of online viewing requests for this year’s Games has beaten the 74.4m record set during the Olympic Games in Rio.
In addition to the 24/7 live and on-demand content available on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website, BBC One had more hours of coverage than ever before this year. In total, 36.4m people watched Tokyo 2020 on BBC TV.*
The men’s 100m final was the most-watched event on TV with 5m viewers tuning in to watch on BBC One, followed closely by the women’s 100m final which saw 4.5m viewers. 3.6m watched Max Whitlock in the men’s pommel final, while 3.4m watched Bradley Sinden take silver in the 68kg taekwondo final. The most requested moments online were Lauren Williams in the 67kg taekwondo gold medal contest with 2.5m requests, and Charlotte Dujardin earning her fifth Olympic medal as Team GB secured bronze in the team dressage final with 2.4m requests.
27.5 million went to the BBC Sport website for the latest news and analysis from Tokyo with 41.3 million online requests for highlights clips, while 1.7 million tuned in to 5 Live on BBC Sounds.
“These Olympics have been nothing short of extraordinary and we’ve been right at the heart of the action, bringing the biggest and best moments of the Games to life for millions back in the UK,” said BBC Director of Sport, Barbara Slater.
“Delivering a record-breaking Games in the midst of a pandemic is a testament to the BBC Sport production teams in Salford as well as the power of sport in bringing people together. We’re incredibly proud to have shone a light on some of the most remarkable stories to come out of Tokyo 2020.”
NBC
Things were not quite so positive in the United States, despite that country topping the medals table. Maybe it’s a case of what is rare is more precious.
The primetime coverage of the Games drew an average audience over the 17 days of 15.5 million. This was down 42 per cent on the 26.7 million average for Rio in 2016 and he’s than half the 31.1 million who watched London 2012.
It was in fact the lowest average since the Games were first broadcast on NBC in 1988.
The total number who tuned in was a little over 150 million, down from 198 million in Rio five years ago.
The early departure of Simone Biles and Naomi Osaka were a big hit to the appeal of the games.
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