WBD reports Olympics viewing surge compared to Tokyo 2020

Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) has revealed that its Olympics coverage has received a significant increase in viewing compared to Tokyo 2020.

It says this has been driven globally by its streaming platform Max.

In the UK, WBD’s Olympics content is being aired on Discovery+ and Eurosport.

Here, between 24 July and 28 July, WBD says that unique viewers on discovery+ UK are up 256% compared to at the same point during Tokyo 2020.

It adds that total viewers on discovery+ for Paris 2024 has already exceeded the whole of Tokyo 2020.

While not providing any specific figures, the broadcasters says that streaming minutes to date (at 28 July) are up six times more than Tokyo at the same point

Sunday 28 July was the third biggest day of the year for discovery+ in the UK, following 1 June (Champions League final) and 17 April (Champions League quarter finals, second leg).

For its Eurosport linear TV channels in the UK, WBD says the first five days of Paris 2024 live coverage on Eurosport 1 has seen an increased average audience of 151% compared to Tokyo 2020. Live coverage on Eurosport 2 has received five times more average audience than Tokyo 2020. Again, the broadcaster hasn’t provided specific viewership figures, just percentage increases.

WBD adds that Eurosport 1 & 2 combined has reached 93% more viewers via Paris 2024 compared to the same point in Tokyo 2020.

Elsewhere, the introduction of streaming service Max has helped transform the way audiences experience the Olympic Games across Europe, says WBD.

The total unique streaming viewers for Paris 2024 on Warner Bros. Discovery’s streaming platforms have exceeded those from the last summer Olympic Games after only day two in Paris.

The opening weekend also saw Warner Bros. Discovery set a new record for retail gross subscriber acquisitions in a single day across Europe, which was “well ahead of expectations,” says WBD.

The time people are spending on Max and discovery+ is also significantly increased with average minutes consumed per viewer up 63% compared to Tokyo 2020 so far.

The launch of Max has been a key driving factor in audience growth, accounting for 80% of the total streaming audience to date.

JB Perrette, CEO and president, global streaming and games, Warner Bros. Discovery, said: “The Paris 2024 Olympic Games are off to a fantastic start, and the recent rollout of Max in Europe is fueling record setting audiences and engagement. The powerful and unique combination of premium movies and scripted content, the best of real life entertainment, and many of the biggest events in international sports is bringing more people to Max and keeping them engaged for even longer. It’s still early days, so we’re excited to build further on this early success over the next two weeks.”

Andrew Georgiou, president and managing director, Warner Bros. Discovery UK & Ireland and WBD Sports Europe, added: “There has been much anticipation for Paris 2024, so it is hugely rewarding to see the quality of our sports production and user experience of our streaming platform resonate so strongly with viewers across Europe. In only a few days, we’ve seen how the combination of premium sport and entertainment brings an audience together on all platforms. Whether it’s the energy of our near 100-strong line-up of outstanding on-screen presenters and experts, incredible rooftop studios at WBD House in Paris or fan-first features such as gold medal alerts on Max and discovery+, Warner Bros. Discovery is delivering an Olympic experience beyond anything seen before.”