Time difference? Indifference? ... Opening ceremony viewership rating 3%, less than one-fifth of Tokyo [Paris Olympics]

Time Difference, Poor Performance of Korean Athletes Cited as Causes

The viewership rating for the opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics, broadcasted by the three major terrestrial broadcasters, recorded 3.0%, significantly lower than the previous Olympics held in Tokyo in 2020.

According to Nielsen Korea, a ratings research company, the cumulative total viewership rating for the opening ceremony broadcast by the three terrestrial broadcasters from 2 a.m. to 6 a.m. the previous day was 3.0%. By channel, KBS 1TV recorded 1.4%, MBC TV 1.0%, and SBS TV 0.6%, respectively.

On the 26th of last month (local time), when the opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics was held, a spectacular laser show took place around Trocadero Square and the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Although the same opening ceremony was aired, each broadcaster sought differentiation in their live broadcast approach. KBS showed footage of world-famous stars walking the red carpet and Korean athletes boarding boats for the athletes' parade.

SBS focused on a cheerful atmosphere with its commentary. They also introduced each sporting event using animations featuring the Olympic mascots and presented 'Chaterview,' short interview clips with athletes.

MBC featured announcers Kim Chorong and Jeon Jonghwan as commentators and was praised for focusing on the essence of live broadcasting in a calm atmosphere. They also provided detailed explanations of basic information such as the country name, capital, and previous Olympic results as each national team entered.

However, despite these efforts, the opening ceremony's viewership rating was lower than in previous Olympics. During the live broadcast of the Tokyo Olympics opening ceremony, the viewership ratings by channel were 8.4% for KBS 1TV, 4.8% for SBS TV, and 4% for MBC TV, totaling a cumulative 17.2%, which contrasts sharply with the current figures.

The time difference is cited as a cause for the decline in ratings. The time difference between the host city, Paris, France, and Korea is seven hours. Additionally, the failure of Korean athletes to qualify for popular Olympic events is also pointed out as a reason. The South Korean men's soccer team missed the Olympic finals for the first time in 48 years, and the women's volleyball team was also eliminated in the Olympic qualifiers.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.