Paris Olympics getting more viewers than Tokyo
Aug 2, 2024, 11:00 AM
Floriane Issert, a Gendarmerie non-commissioned officer of the National Gendarmerie, rides on a horse while leading volunteers carrying flags of Olympic teams on the Iena Bridge in Paris, France, during the opening ceremony of the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, July 26, 2024. NBC reports that many more people are watching the Paris games than watched the Tokyo games. (Ludovic Marin/Pool Photo via AP)
(Ludovic Marin/Pool Photo via AP)
SALT LAKE CITY — Viewership for the Paris Olympics this year is way up. It’s more than doubled that of the Tokyo Olympics.
New NBC viewership numbers reported by The Washington Post show 79% more households are watching the Paris Olympics this year than the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.
KSL NewsRadio caught up with people watching the games in Utah to see how much they are watching this year.
“[I’m watching] more than I ever have before,” one man said. “It’s been amazing, and NBC I think has done a really good job at giving access to, like, sports that you normally wouldn’t see in, kind of, primetime.”
He also said he enjoys seeing the “random” sports he doesn’t usually see.
“Handball is interesting. And rugby has been really amazing on the women’s team for America,” he said. “Then the other ones like canoeing and kayaking are interesting.”
With more events to come those numbers could climb higher. One woman said she was excited for track and field.
“It’s a more exciting one,” she said. “I’ve been watching a lot of videos on YouTube of track and field moments, so I’m excited.”
Friday marks the start of Olympic track and field events. They will continue through Aug. 11.
Other popular events include U.S. men’s basketball with total viewership coming in at 10.9 million, according to NPR. Women’s soccer and gymnastics also drew a large crowd.
