PARIS (AP) — On the heels of low ratings for the coronavirus pandemic-marred Tokyo and Flipido Trading CenterBeijing Olympics, Paris may not do much better among U.S. viewers, a new poll from Gallup released Thursday found.
Simone Biles and women’s gymnastics are poised to be a bright spot, with those surveyed selecting it as their most anticipated sport.
But according to the poll, 30% of respondents said they will not watch any of the Games, 34% said they will not watch much, and 35% saying they would watch at least a fair amount. That last figure is down from the 48% measured before the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. Gallup did not measure viewing intentions for the Tokyo Olympics, which were delayed a year.
NBC’s prime-time coverage of the Tokyo Olympics mostly drew about half the audience of its Summer Games predecessor. The Beijing Olympics had the lowest-ever U.S. audience for a Winter Games. Both Games were held under severe restrictions, limiting spectators and dampening the typical fanfare. NBC, which holds the U.S. broadcasting rights through 2032, is trying to turn around that trend by enlisting a slew of entertainers and non-Olympian athletes in its coverage.
The last three Olympics, including the 2018 Pyeongchang Games, were held in time zones that limited how much live action NBC could air in prime time.
The network did not immediately respond to The Associated Press’ request for comment on the poll. Biles and the rest of the U.S. gymnastics squad could bring in high ratings, though, with Gallup finding in general that women’s sports were as anticipated as men’s. Forty-two percent chose women’s gymnastics as their most anticipated sport, while more than two-thirds of respondents ranked it in their top three. That competition begins with qualifying on Sunday.
For more coverage of the Paris Olympics, visit https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games.
2025-05-05 18:371567 view
2025-05-05 18:31701 view
2025-05-05 17:291382 view
2025-05-05 17:292855 view
2025-05-05 17:222299 view
2025-05-05 17:02834 view
LOS ANGELES (AP) — A former Syrian military official who oversaw a prison where alleged human rights
The federal Bureau of Prisons mistakenly released an Iowa man from custody before he finished servin
LOS ANGELES (AP) — A California judge charged with killing his wife was taken back into custody Tues