Are the Olympics Becoming Irrelevant?

Full and honest confession…Mea Culpa...Mea Maximus Culpa…I feel so guilty. I am not really watching or paying attention to the Winter Olympics in Beijing, and I used to watch both Winter and Summer Games religiously. Not to mention that I “worked” many a game helping to manage my client’s sponsorships…Calgary still and always a benchmark moment for me.?

Unfortunately, for NBC who owns the broadcast and streaming rights—seems silly to separate them, no? Can’t we just say they own the rights to one or the other meaning the right to show us? It seems I am not wallowing alone. The opening ceremony was viewed by an audience half the size of the last Winter Games Opening Ceremony some 4 years ago.???

Not to beat a dead horse…or in this case a limping athlete…but the audiences have been the lowest ever for Primetime Olympic live coverage. To be fair, those numbers don’t yet include the streaming data (isn’t that supposed to be in real time…data and all?). Cynic that I am…I find it funny to get the dinosaur data first. However, my bet is that it adds dribs and drabs to the final result. No amount of streaming, social, or telepathy will make up the difference.?

And those low numbers encompass all demographic groups and sadly are still the highest numbers on traditional TV, for those time periods, emphasizing just how low the bar really is.?

What gives?

It's way too easy and PC DIGIBABBLE to blame it on a traditional TV versus streaming issue. The games can be watched in as many ways as you like to watch anything else. And, as I always point out, digital is everything…not everything is digital. All broadcasts come from a digital source these days…just saying.

To be fair, some of it is Covid. Empty stadiums; distanced athletes; less energy; downsized ceremonies…no doubt all contribute to the lack of excitement.

And, despite all the PR—the interesting articles on athletes' fear of injury; the up from despair stories that always resonate, and yes, the coolness of some of the events—no one I know is talking about them. No one is sharing the love, wearing the merch, or otherwise paying much attention.?

My bet? The games are just no longer relevant…they have been getting less so for many years and will continue to slide down a pole that is dangerously greased by an out of touch leadership and organization.?

What are they missing?

• The Olympic Committee is a mostly political body (I know from my own experiences) yet pretends to be neutral and non-partisan…not “real” in today’s hyper-real world.
• The Olympic Committee still allows athletes to shun others and for countries to do the same…walking off the playing field or changing their places in the line-up. As a note of interest, the Special Olympics (full disclosure, I’m on their Board) doesn’t allow any behavior of that sort…you march, you play, or you don’t come. And they all come.?
• Winter sports are an expensive undertaking. Equipment is costly, venue participation is costly, and it's cold…not a lot of diversity opportunities here.?
• Back to politics…the Russians do and don’t compete (go figure); China is hosting and everyone pretends all is well; Putin sits there alone, thumbing his nose…so much potential drama you think it would draw viewers…nope.
• Doping is still an issue, so is abuse. The story is stale…fix it and move on.

I feel terrible for the athletes who have been freezing their butts off for years practicing; praying; hoping; wishing; recovering from injury, who do believe, like I want to, in the Olympic Spirit and the democracy of combat by sport.?

Yet, as I forced myself to watch snowboarding, usually an exciting event, and rooted for the US Team and the young woman who stepped up to it all and won a Silver…with a made-for-TV backstory of building a practice park in her backyard during Covid…I was bored. Distracted. I felt no energy through the screen or drama. Sad.

On the other hand, the Super Bowl, the World Championship of US American Football, is happening in Los Angeles next week and already engaging people around the world.?

The stadium will be full. All of the advertising inventory is gone. Merchandise is already selling out, and close to $15 billion will be spent on parties next Sunday. And my favorite laugh, as always, there will be a drop in water pressure across the continental United States as millions of people get up to pee at half time and run back before the show.

Like the Olympics, the Super Bowl is Broadcast. It’s streamed, socialed, you name it. People use two to three screens to watch—one the biggest to see the game, and the others to follow statistics (no one wants to leave a game view for that). And yes, even to get more info on advertisers.

For the DIGIBABBLE crowd, the number of Digital companies advertising continues to stay high with many first-timers as the value of this cultural zeitgeist moment continues to be relevant.

And while some, ala Netflix, seem to think that being modernly digital means “pre-releasing” their advertising, let’s be clear: you just started your campaign earlier…the seriously savvy marketers, and there are more every year, understand the difference between marketing and digitaling. They tease and build excitement and anticipation for their creativity with a depth to be discovered and a long tail to be explored.

Interestingly, the National Football League is not without its Olympic-sized issues in terms of diversity and bias. They have had slipping audiences too…but huge numbers will tune in February 13 to be a part of a cultural moment that is as big as it gets.?

Why? What are the differences?

• The moment is accessible. It doesn’t feel as elite. It's easy to engage, buy a six pack of beer and some chips, throw some food together, and invite over some friends.?
• Despite it all…there is more diversity on the field.
• Despite it all, it at least seems like they are trying to deal with their issues (maybe).
• The entertainment is culturally relevant...last year's halftime show starred The Weekend, and he had a 385% growth in his music after the show.

The Super Bowl doesn’t pretend to change the world…with all their warts and flaws, what you see is what you get. For better or worse…kind of real. Like it or not.

And I haven’t mentioned Twitch, and their ESports contract…following in this same tradition…with all the same issues and problems…opportunities and pitfalls. More to come on that.

So, I’m going to? watch a little Olympics out of guilt…and with anticipation, plan my menu for next Sunday…and not hyperventilate over whether I’m streaming or broadcasting or whatever…

Mea Culpa…OK, I’m trying…and every once in a while, a moment like the women's snowboarders celebrating the winner even when it meant they finished lower in the rankings, renews your faith.

At the end of the day, I’m just going to enjoy it, and I hope you do too!!!

What’s your view? Have you been watching or will you watch?