The Jambar
Every four years, the Winter Olympics return to American television screens with the promise of generational talent fighting for the right to stand on the podium. With a shift in media habits and more pressure being put on the younger athletes in the competition field, questions arise about whether the Games still hold the same relevance in the U.S.
According to a Nielsen data report after the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, NBC News averaged just over 10 million primetime viewers. This marked one of the lowest audiences for a Winter Olympics in decades.
This statistic makes people question if this drop in viewership was caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. While streaming numbers boosted overall consumption, traditional television viewership saw a sharp decline.
The Winter Olympics has always faced a unique challenge in the U.S.. Outside of Olympic competition, sports such as luge, biathlon and Nordic combined lack a strong domestic following. Unlike Summer Olympic sports such as basketball and soccer, winter sports do not dominate the headlines in non-Olympic years.
Figure skating is one winter sport that remains somewhat relevant in recent years. This is seen through Netflix’s recently trending show “Glitter & Gold: Ice Dancing” – plus the following of the U.S. Olympic team’s newest star and figure skater, Ilia Malinin.
Malinin is the first skater in history to land a ratified quadruple axel in international competition, and in doing so at just 21 years old, he has already been labeled the future of U.S. figure skating.
Expectations build quickly. Medals are assumed. Perfection is anticipated. When an athlete delivers, the celebration is mainstream. When mistakes happen, the reaction can be just as swift.
In an era of instant social media commentary, with many believing they belong on the judging panel, patience is limited. For some viewers, one fall is enough to change the channel.
That instant reaction impacts more than just an athlete’s confidence. It shapes overall American engagement with the Games. If medal contention disappears, so does the viewership. Now more than ever, the focus for American viewers is gold or nothing.
According to Sports Media Watch, Winter Olympics primetime audiences have declined across multiple cycles over the past decade. While streaming platforms have increased accessibility, they have also fragmented the audience.
The rise of short-form content has changed how fans interact with Olympic sports. For example, Generation Z is more likely to watch a 30-second highlight of a triple jump than an entire skating program.
Long-term engagement and young stardom go hand in hand. When an athlete is framed as the nation’s best hope for gold, their performances are tuned into.
Relevance in today’s America looks different than it once did, no matter if the Winter Olympics still produces moments of brilliance. Viewership is no longer measured solely by primetime television numbers, but instead measured by likes on highlight clips and trending hashtags.
The Winter Olympics is not disappearing. The question moving forward is whether the U.S. can celebrate its athletes, including young stars such as Malinin, without turning them into symbols that must deliver gold.
These athletes train for lifetimes for what may be a 10-second run-down the halfpipe or a four-minute program on the ice. If viewers can appreciate the performance beyond the medal count and stop turning away after a single mistake, the Winter Olympics can build a stronger and more lasting connection with American audiences.