Published by Leonardo Calcagno
The 2024 Olympic Games have been completed, and it can be considered to have been a successful event.
While there were moments of controversy right from the start and throughout, the Games still managed to go as close to as they were planned, with many memorable moments coming out. Who can forget about the Turkish Olympic shooter Yusuf Dikec and his stance when shooting his way to a silver medal? Or who can forget the unfortunate incident that saw French pole vaulter Anthony Ammirati suffer an ‘incident’ when he was making one of his attempts?
Record-breaking Olympic Games
Figures to have been revealed have shown that the Games were record-breaking in several ways, including in viewership. Over 9.5 million of the 10 million available tickets were sold, with broadcasters experiencing their own increases in terms of viewership, with the likes of the BBC and Peacock (in the US) both revealing their own new records.
The increase in viewership will likely have had a profound impact on the sports betting industry this summer, which was already a huge sporting year for the industry. Major football events took place prior to the Games, while those who may have used an odds calculator for those fixtures may have decided to use it as a tool to enhance their betting experiences when wagering on the athletics taking place. As they gained experience of using it, they may have decided that the Summer Games was the perfect time for them to try it on a different sport to enhance the sessions that they could partake in.
Certain sports at the Games had managed to break the attendance record for their respective events, which perhaps highlights how popular the sports were with attendees in France. The Rugby 7s had over 530,000 spectators attend the matches that were contested, with handball seeing over half a million for the first time. Beach volleyball also managed to get close to that figure, with nearly 450,000 people attending the discipline.
Records were also achieved regarding attendance at women’s events. 66,000 watched the women compete in rugby at the Stade de France. A European record of 27,000 people watched women’s basketball in Lille, while a women’s handball match saw 26,500 watches.
What sports are commonly popular at the Olympic Games?
While it can be difficult to know the exact figures for those not able to attend the Games in Paris, there are some sports that commonly prove popular with viewers each year they take place.
It’s not uncommon for many to watch the races that take place on the track, with the 100m sprint, 200m and 400m often being watched closely. At the same time, most will watch the swimming events that take place, whether that be regarding the races or the diving competitions that take place.
New sports could be most watched at Los Angeles 2028
Many of the events that take place at the Olympics will always gather a lot of attention from viewers as they aren’t always events that are widely broadcasted around the world, and with Los Angeles 2028 set to introduce new events, we could see some of them become the most watched in four years’ time.