he Olympics has long been a made-for-TV event. When the Games were last held in Tokyo – in 1964 – it was the first time they were broadcast live internationally, using the Syncom 3 satellite. Tokyo 2020 was planned as a made-for-digital
(and millennials) extravaganza long before Covid threw plans into disarray. New sports (skateboarding, sport climbing, surfing) and a panoply of mobile-first and on-demand content were floated to bring younger audiences into the Olympic movement. Core to the IOC agenda over the next five years is to “grow digital engagement with people”. Since 70% of all IOC revenue is derived from broadcast rights sales, broadcast partners being able to reach youth audiences is vital for the Olympics’ continued relevance. “Our ambition is to bring the magic of the athletes’ achievements to the world on an unprecedented scale,” says Yiannis Exarchos, CEO of host broadcaster, OBS. “Technology is going to play a critical role and allow us to bring fans ‘inside the venue’ virtually. The IOC and OBS believe these new digital
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