Survey: Viewers’ interest in Olympics is mostly down, with Simone Biles an exception

On the heels of low ratings for the coronavirus pandemic-marred Tokyo and Beijing Olympics, Paris might not do much better among U.S. viewers, a new poll from Gallup released Thursday found.

The Olympics will officially open in Paris on Friday night and continue through Sunday, Aug. 11. Some team events started on Wednesday.

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.