Winter Olympics smash BBC viewing records despite backlash from viewers | Other | Sport
The BBC have announced record viewing figures from the Winter Olympics (Image: GETTY)
The BBC have announced record viewing figures from the Winter Olympics, which saw Team GB record their most successful medal tally ever. They won three golds, having travelled to Milan-Cortina with high hopes of improving on their previous best of one gold medal. Matt Weston clinched two of them in the individual skeleton and the mixed event with Tabitha Stoecker.
Charlotte Bankes and Huw Nightingale also took gold in the mixed snowboard cross, while the men’s curling team won silver. Zoe Atkin took bronze in the freeski halfpipe, bringing Team GB’s medal count up to five. Their success translated to a spike in ratings across the BBC, with a huge number of people tuning in throughout the Games.
On Monday, it was announced that 26.3 million people watched the BBC’s coverage on TV. On the iPlayer service, the BBC Sport website and the BBC Sport app, there were an unprecedented 83 million streams and over 44 million total streamed hours.
The BBC’s social media coverage also delivered record returns with 235 million total views being generated across the Winter Olympics.
A compilation of ski jumpers warming up gained more than six million views on TikTok, becoming the most-viewed individual BBC Sport video of the Games.
Alex Kay-Jelski, the BBC’s director of sport, said: “From unforgettable human moments to technical sporting insight, BBC Sport didn’t just cover this year’s Winter Olympic Games, it delivered conversation and insight around them that got audiences talking and engaging more than ever.
“Record audiences came to the BBC to experience our multi-platform coverage, whether that was a viral social media clip, an in-depth explainer on the website, a bespoke digital film for iPlayer, or watching the drama unfold live on TV.
“I’m hugely proud of the teams who worked tirelessly to deliver such an outstanding Games for existing and new audiences.”
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Team GB won five medals in Milan-Cortina including three golds (Image: GETTY)
The new figures represent a huge increase on the previous Winter Olympics in Beijing four years ago, which saw 31.4 million streams and a TV audience of 26 million.
That is despite some viewers being left furious with the BBC’s coverage, which was branded the ‘worst ever’ on social media after a cross-country skiing feed was cut before the end of the race.
Others expressed their frustration with the coverage in general, with one labelling the BBC’s effort as “their worst [at an Olympics] by an absolute mile”.
They were also forced to apologise after missing a crucial moment when Weston and Stoecker took gold in the mixed team skeleton relay event.
Weston’s initial push-off was shown in the corner graphic but the main screen was entirely taken up by his coach’s encouragement, leading to fury on social media.
The broadcast was not under the BBC’s control, having instead come straight from the Olympic world feed, but commentator John Hunt was quick to apologise to viewers watching at home.
He said: “Oh, what are they doing? What are they playing at? That’s terrible. That’s a great start. Sorry about the pictures, but Matt is on his way.”
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