Support NeoGAF

[Spyxos]

I remember watching the Olympics with the whole family when I was little. I spoke to my grandparents a few days ago and asked if they were going to watch the games. And they said that they couldn't even remember when they last watched the games. And that they have no interest in it at all.

Also when I think about my circle, it's been ages since anyone even mentioned the Olympic Games. The players were also stars back then. And today I couldn't even name a name and wouldn't recognize any faces. Are there still countries where they are still watched? Or are they simply an old-fashioned relic that is no longer needed today? And is it simply carried out out of habit?

 

[Rentahamster]

 

[RiccochetJ]

I want to say that you're right, but maybe it's more an age thing. I remember knowing a ton of different athletes names, the rivalries, and all the manufactured drama. Then I just sort of stopped caring. As far as I can tell the presentation and the stories.

 

[SJRB]

If they don't even take themselves seriously, why should I?

 

[Bring Back Scalebound]

I noticed the same thing...

I used to watch volleyball, weight-lifting, so on, with the Brazil t-shirts and everything with my relatives, and now is like is not even happening for them.

It's weird... I stopped watching too, and I genuinely can't say why. I have no idea why.

Seeing the best of the best of the world, in these really tense competitive sports, is like the best!
But for whatever reason, I stopped too.

 

[Punished Miku]

I don't really care for it that much. Gymnastics and ice skating are kinda cool. I'd watch Tae Kwon Do but it's usually impossible.

 

[winjer]

It's just a gigantic waste of money.

 

[Bring Back Scalebound]

If they don't even take themselves seriously, why should I?

How... does that have anything to do with the event and them "not taking themselves seriously"?...

If a singular Drag Queen is enough to make you not want to watch the Olympics, the word that I know you would use for them ("f word"), actually applies to you.

You are an insecure "f word".

 

[jonnyp]

Only watch the athletics part of it. Winter Olympics is way more fun to me.

 

[Chuck Berry]

Havent watched them since I was 12-13 years old maybe

Honestly didn't even know they were happening this Summer up until a few days ago

 

[West Texas CEO]

I still enjoy Olympic basketball.

 

[Raven117]

I think with there being so much entertainment out there now and so many ways to access it, the Olympics just don’t have the same market penetration.

Man. The 92 Barcelona games, ‘96 Atlanta were the high water marks for me.

 

[T4keD0wN]

The audience is mostly school age kids and old dudes who like to scream at the tv while drinking their 12 beer because they have nothing better to do. It feels like people who are somewhere in-between of those categories rarely have the time to watch them, at least thats what it feels like in my proximity.

 

[SJRB]

Only watch the athletics part of it. Winter Olympics is way more fun to me.

Agreed! Winter Olympics is so much better, comfier vibes I guess.

I typically subscribe to Discovery+ because they'll have like 4 streams at the same time. Timezone is favorable this year too so I try and watch as much as I can.

Edit: HBO Max has the streaming rights for this year, not Discovery.

 

[NecrosaroIII]

My wife and I still enjoy them. We prefer the Winter Games though. It was a shame the Tokyo games were mired in so much controversey. It should have been a celebration of Japanese culture. At least they were able to showcase so many wonderful Japanese game composers durong the opening ceremony though.

 

[The_hunter]

You have to pay to watch them right? People used to subscribe to TV, so you had the Olympics.

Now everyone just has streaming services.

 

[ShadowNate]

They're still doing the women's beach volleyball, right?

That one I still would watch.

 

[FunkMiller]

This an American thing? Because they're still being hyped to shit in UK and Australia. Both have it free to watch.

You have to pay to watch them right? People used to subscribe to TV, so you had the Olympics.

Now everyone just has streaming services.

Nope.

 

[dem]

I didn’t even know it was Olympic year until like a week ago

 

[Punished Miku]

This an American thing? Because they're still being hyped to shit in UK and Australia. Both have it free to watch.



Nope.

I think it's definitely an America thing. Most countries that don't really get a lot of recognition in global conversation are insanely obsessed with the Olympics.

 

[StreetsofBeige]

Men's:

- Basketball
- Hockey
- 100M dash
- And anyone wiping out or falling on their ass in skiing, skating, gymnastics

That's it for me.

 

[StreetsofBeige]

I think it's definitely an America thing. Most countries that don't really get a lot of recognition in global conversation are insanely obsessed with the Olympics.

I've heard and seen shit about Canada from sports sites and channels. Only thing I've seen women's soccer team trying to cheat against NZ using a drone.

 

[Spyxos]

This an American thing? Because they're still being hyped to shit in UK and Australia. Both have it free to watch.



Nope.

Nah Germany here and crickets. And free to watch.

 

[Muffdraul]

For me, the last time the Olympics felt at all relevant was probably 2008. I'm old enough to remember the 1976 and 1984 summer Olympics, IMO there's never been anything like that since.

 

[Mossybrew]

I've never cared about the olympics. My grandma used to love figure skating so she watched those competitions back in the day, my wife watched the gymnastics stuff years ago, but that secondhand involvement is the most it ever was in my life.

 

[TheAtomicPile]

Speaking for the US, Men's basketball still gets a lot of coverage. Women's gymnastics will too, as long as Simone Biles doesn't bail this time.

 

[March Climber]

After trying for years and years, the media has successfully made politics a hotter topic than sports, and they will make sure that you see politics in every little thing going on.

Case in point:

If they don't even take themselves seriously, why should I?

 

[jason10mm]

How... does that have anything to do with the event and them "not taking themselves seriously"?...

If a singular Drag Queen is enough to make you not want to watch the Olympics, the word that I know you would use for them ("f word"), actually applies to you.

You are an insecure "f word".

It's like having Snoop Dogg carry the torch, the focus is less on the athletics and more on the "celebrity".

Bring back naked olympics, viewership problem SOLVED!!!!

 

[jason10mm]

But seriously, the current olympics (at least within the US) has no serious rivalry, unlike the heyday of US vs Soviets. A lot of the events are "WTF is that?" crap or so weighted towards the "traditional countries" of the modern reincarnation that they don't have much traction now (cross country skiing, pentathalon, etc). Coverage has been so 'personality focused' that you can't actually watch much anymore on TV, it's all sob stories about how the athletes dog died when they were 4 months old and that motivated them to become the worlds best curler. You can also watch other associations events for whatever you like, you don't need to wait 4 years to see judo, ice skating, gymnastics, or whatever, they are on all the time somewhere.

If it were me, I'd slash the events down to just a handful so the whole thing could happen in one arena again. Have countries host their own tournaments to send just a few champions to compete. Make these athletes be well rounded in multiple disciplines, not savants in just one thing that they can grow in a science lab.

And any event where little kids are TOO competitive (looking at you, 'womens' gymnastics) needs a serious overhaul.

 

[BigBeauford]

The 2010's really flattened interest in the event with all of the insane levels of activism. I really got the sense that several of the athletes were taking a giant shit on America, and so many felt obligated not to give them support.

 

[12Goblins]

this thread is embarrassing

 

[Muffdraul]

this thread is embarrassing

 

[SirKicksalot]

104 million people watched the BBC online streams for Tokyo. 375 million people watched the Discovery/Eurosport TV coverage.
This year the schedule is better for Western audiences and Max has every event for free (in Europe at least).

 

[Toons]

Never cared about them that much but not because of any disdain I usually just have better things to do than watch them. America has a big sports obsession year round so maybe it's different elsewhere

 

[Carmen Winstead]

104 million people watched the BBC online streams for Tokyo. 375 million people watched the Discovery/Eurosport TV coverage.
This year the schedule is better for Western audiences and Max has every event for free (in Europe at least).

Comparing an entire event with a lot of different disciplines to one fucking game of any sport is a bold move.

 

[ForAcademicPurposes]

It's a political farce like any other major sport these days.

But I respect the athletes that train hard for it. They ain't got nothing to do with it. The ones that do not dope.

 

[touchfuzzy]

Because it's always on the other side of the world and broadcasting in the middle of the night. Everything happens when I'm sleeping or toiling away at work so it's hard to care too much. Get back to me when this shit is in North America again.

 

[IntentionalPun]

They are still really popular.

There’s just exponentially more ways to entertain yourself / find content you like nowadays.

 

[AJUMP23]

It is still relevant but it has become so poorly covered by NBC it makes it hard to watch.

Breakdancing is a sport this year though.

 

[Lambogenie]

Comparing an entire event with a lot of different disciplines to one fucking game of any sport is a bold move.

Except World Cup football is 1 sport that ranks that high. Can take away a few things from it.

I don't really care about sports, but gymnastics is always so fascinating to watch so I try watch some of that for women's floor, bars, men's apparatus and rings. Hoping to see amazing stuff from Japan Men's, China and US again.

 

[SoloCamo]

If they don't even take themselves seriously, why should I?

Please tell me that's not real. What an embarrassment to athletes that push their gender specific bodies to the extreme.

 

[Fbh]

This is completely anecdotal but I feel like with stuff like online streaming services and the even higher prevalence of stuff like Youtube/Tik Tok/Instagram some people will continue watching the content they want when they want instead of tuning in to the Olympics.

Like when I was a kid I remember we would often watch them because it's what would be playing on public broadcasts during most of the day. Even once we got cable we'd often still tune in if nothing particularly good was playing on the other channels. Now though you can always watch exactly what you want when you want.

Comparing an entire event with a lot of different disciplines to one fucking game of any sport is a bold move.

But it still shows that viewership is high, and didn't decline a whole lot from the 2016 Olympics to the 2020 ones

 

[Ownage]

OG GAF needs to carry the thread once again.

 

[Dr.D00p]

I'd genuinely completely forgot they were even happening this year until a couple months ago...was only reminded of it by seeing them mentioned in a news article.

They really have no meaning to me and won't be watching any of it and I really couldn't give two shits where my country comes in the medals table.

Spoiler

..as long as we give the Aussies a good thrashing, of course

 

[T-0800]

People only care about it for the two weeks it is on not the 4 years when it isn't.

 

[Cyberpunkd]

I will tell you after tonight, I’m attending the Opening Ceremony.

 

[Cyberpunkd]

Please tell me that's not real. What an embarrassment to athletes that push their gender specific bodies to the extreme.

Athletes absolutely don’t fucking care.

 

[Ribi]

people who watch the olypics are the same weirdos who drape themselves in the flag for fake sports and pretend to care about "sports" like swimming and skiing. They probably watch the WNBA and tennis.

 

[West Texas CEO]

I will tell you after tonight, I’m attending the Opening Ceremony.

That is so fucking cool, man!

Enjoy and please post some pics if you can!

 

[AJUMP23]

OG GAF needs to carry the thread once again.

Still beautiful.