Posted on 02/05/2022 6:18:42 PM PST by martin_fierro
The 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing are off to anything but a roaring start, with viewership down to an all-time low.
Thursday’s primetime coverage averaged just 7.25 million viewers on NBC. The previous low was the 8.5 million that tuned in for the final night of competition at last year’s Summer Olympics in Tokyo, per Sports Media Watch.
As OutKick’s Clay Travis noted on Twitter Friday, Americans are simply choosing not to watch, as the Olympics carry on in Beijing amid the ongoing Chinese genocide against Muslim Uyghurs.
For retrospect, Thursday’s number is down 55% from the 16 million that watched the opening night of the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang.
The U.S. notably did not send any diplomatic representatives to the Games, in a protest against China’s human rights violations.
“We will not be contributing to the fanfare of the Games. U.S. diplomatic or official representation would treat these Games as business as usual in the face of [China’s] egregious human rights abuses and atrocities in Xinjiang, and we simply can’t do that,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Dec. 6.
NBC’s broadcast, to the surprise of many, didn’t shy away from acknowledging the issues at hand in China. Olympics host Mike Tirico began his opening monologue with a message for Americans watching at home.
“Everything and everyone attached to these Games is facing questions,” Tirico said.
Chuck Fina!
China is asshoe.
The Olympics are on? 🥱
Gosh, that’s a shame.
What, nobody’s watching the NBC/CCP lovefest ?
I hope NBC takes such a bath they go out of business.
The Olympics are dead. There are other things on TV thanks to cable, dish and streaming. Countries are no longer bidding for the games like they used to. So the IOC will have to cool it with their demands and be more accepting of facilities.
The Olympics are soooo first and second millennia.
My sentiments exactly. Actually, this senior can’t remember watching any of them unless it was skating many many many years ago.
I didn’t watch either.
I must sneak a peek at men’s skating. It is fabulous!
Apparently. ZzzzZZZZzzz
There are other things on TV...
Like watching the Canadian freedom truckers online. HINK. HONK.
Die commie scum!
I think the last time I watched it was to cheer on Eddie the Eagle as he ski jumped.
If you were 20 in Tianenmen Square, you’d be 52 right now, if you survived the death camps.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.