Cross-Platform Viewing of the Beijing Winter Olympics: Television and Digital Consumption Patterns in China, Germany, and the United States

Abstract

This research represents one of the first empirical studies to examine how and why people watched the 2022 Winter Olympics on both television (TV) and digital platforms across different countries. Surveys were conducted in China, Germany, and the United States—three of the four top medal-winning countries during the 2022 Winter Olympics. Results indicate that traditional TV remains the primary way that viewers across countries watch the Winter Olympics, but the gap in exposure between traditional TV and digital appears to have narrowed, particularly among Americans and Chinese. Results support the dynamic model of exposure whereby both individual preferences and structures helped explain viewing of the Winter Olympics. Specifically, preferences appear to play a relatively larger role for digital streaming, while Olympics TV consumption is more a choice of the medium. Overall, this research suggests that the Olympics remains an attractive mega event for rights holders with an opportunity to attract viewers through easier navigation of the wealth of content available.