There are many factors that contributed to the decline in the number of Olympic spectators.
After so much commotion and a year’s delay, the Tokyo Summer Olympic Games held its opening ceremony on Friday night. Based on the incoming ratings, this can be considered a sudden story, because very few people watched the event. Unofficial figures so far show that the number of spectators is far below the 25 million target set before the game.
Friday’s celebration attracted a meager 16.7 million spectators, but in some respects the figure was even worse, and in others it was better.This total covers all formats, including streaming media, which has some positive implications for NBC, which has affected the launch of its new streaming service Peacock In the game. Although this represents the powerful streaming data of the Internet, it is not the digital love feast they expected last summer. This streaming media number also means that the prime time broadcast ratings hardly exceed 10 million.
So, what caused the dismal performance here? Why would the audience avoid what is traditionally very attractive to the audience? There are many contributing factors, and it may/probably a combination of these factors that leads to a decrease in interest.
Pandemic
The stagnant game premiere may have one of two ways, but the one-year delay seems to diminish interest rather than build expectations. In addition, the media’s hype about the emergence of new variants may turn the audience’s anxiety into a “why bother” stance on the game.
Time influence
The 13-hour difference means that some of the most watched large-scale events will be postponed, including the opening ceremony. The premiere was broadcast live before 7 a.m. Eastern Time, so the prime time broadcast was actually recorded. There is no doubt that advanced images and videos are circulating throughout the day, satisfying the interest of some potential audiences.
Poor advance word
The weeks leading up to the game were full of unique negative news. The pandemic in Japan means that restrictions abound, and some athletes have tested positive and are unable to participate. Track and field star Shakari Richardson was suspended for a positive drug test. In addition, an athlete had to fight her newborn baby could not join her, a Paralympic blind swimmer could not get her assistant-her own mother-to help her participate in the competition. Swimmers sent home. For several months, the news was almost completely sluggish.
Covid restrictions
Since Japan is very fragile at this time, officials have been suppressing most of the activities. Fans were banned from participating, and then they further stated that even family members would be prevented from participating. Even athletes are forced to arrive only when they are close to their activities, and leave shortly after, in a limited time schedule. This led to the sterilization experience of the vacant stadium. At the opening ceremony, the athletes walked out of all the events for the empty stadium.
Anti-American prejudice
The politicized atmosphere affecting other sports has also permeated the Olympic Games. In the Olympic trials, Gwen Barry gained fame for her apparent contempt for the national anthem, and she received more criticism than support. The NBA has been fully engaged in social signaling work, which has led to a decline in the league’s ratings. The professional players who woke up now seem to be wandering in Tokyo. The US team lost to the French team in the opening game of the Olympics. After being embarrassed by the Nigeria team in the preliminaries, their interest was reduced accordingly.The women’s football team began to kneel before the game and lost to Sweden in the first round. The United States burst into applause.
The audience has little interest in those who are not interested in representing the country.
Any and all of these may affect the audience’s interest, but the reality is that the enthusiasm we experience in the game is not the same. In bars, social media and other places, we did not see and feel the usual enthusiasm. It takes some truly compelling storylines to attract citizens who usually participate in national sporting events.
