Tokyo 2020 Olympics was the most watched ever

The International Olympic Committee said on Wednesday that the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games were the most-watched ever, with an audience of more than three billion spectators.

Official coverage of the games in Japan across digital platforms and associated channels generated 28 billion video views in total, up 139% over previous games in Rio de Janeiro (2016).

In turn, the amount of TV coverage available increased by 33%, while digital production grew by 34% in an event that did not have an audience for the first time due to the Covid-19 pandemic and was postponed from 2020 to this year.

IOC President Thomas Bach, at a press conference, stressed that these data reflect the success of Tokyo 2020, as well as the changing landscape in the greater communication and interaction of young audiences with the Olympic Games.

At the same time, the official announced the launch of a humanitarian aid package targeting the Olympic and Paralympic community in Afghanistan, in cooperation with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

The $560,000 package (about 493,000 euros) is intended to benefit about 2,000 people.

Bach was also asked about Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai, who said on social media that former Deputy Prime Minister Zhang Qaoli had sexually assaulted her, and her health and whereabouts had raised concerns in the international community.

“We will maintain our monitoring through video conferencing. The priority is to ensure their physical safety, which is one of the basic human rights,” the IOC president stressed.