Going for Gold: The Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games, media, and digital native fans

Altman Solon is the largest global TMT consulting firm with expertise in media strategy consulting. In this insight, we lean on our annual Global Sports Survey findings to understand how broadcasters are adapting their 2024 Summer Olympics coverage to appeal to a digitally native fan base.

The 2024 Summer Olympic Games will attract a massive global audience, potentially exceeding Tokyo's three billion-plus viewers in 2021. While the modern Olympic Games are nearly 130 years old, their success is due in part to constant innovation, from the International Olympic Committee regularly integrating new sporting events to media companies experimenting with how they cover the games.

Our most recent Global Sports Survey shows that media executives are striving to engage a growing sports fan base that favors short-form content, uses multiple screens, and is increasingly influenced by athletes and celebrities. On the eve of the 2024 Summer Olympic Games, media rights holders are adopting some of the trends highlighted in our survey to appeal to digital native fans in an increasingly splintered media landscape.

"Media companies need to engage end users and understand what they want and when they want it. Not all consumers want the whole menu—some just want live sports, others highlights, others documentaries, etc."

- Senior Executive, Global Sports Federation 

Today’s fans are used to second-screen experiences. Our findings reveal that over half of sports fans report using social media and browsing the internet while watching sporting events. Warner Bros. Discovery is betting big on second-screen viewing: They will début a two-year sports coverage partnership with Snapchat at the start of the 2024 Summer Olympic Games. This partnership, spanning European markets, will include exclusive highlight reels and behind-the-scenes interviews with star athletes broadcast on Snapchat.

Similarly, NBCUniversal will launch "Your Daily Olympic Recap on Peacock" on their streaming channel. This AI-generated, personalized Olympic highlight reel is designed to complement linear programming. Global sports media executives are bullish on AI in sports, 79% believe automated content has the potential to unlock new revenue streams by producing content at scale and lowering production costs. According to NBCUniversal, over 7 million personalized variants of the Olympic Recap can potentially be generated for fans to stream on Peacock.

The power of the athlete celebrity will be on full display during coverage of the summer games. Fifty-six percent of sports industry executives believe that fandom will become increasingly athlete and celebrity-driven. Unsurprisingly, the 2024 Summer Olympic Games will feature an unprecedented roster of athlete celebrities covering the games, from Eurosport's stable of over 100 former European Olympians to NBCUniversal's line-up of sports stars, A-list celebrities, and influencers.

Broadcasters are making bold moves to package and distribute content in ways that will resonate with a changing fan base. These innovations are already proving lucrative: NBCUniversal reports being on track to exceed the $1.25 billion in ad revenue earned during the 2021 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo. What's more, by extending their coverage to digital platforms, NBC reportedly booked $350 million in ads from first-time Olympic sponsors.

While today's sports media landscape is fragmented by streaming, second-screen experiences, and preferences for short-form content, major global events like the Summer Olympic Games continue to draw audiences worldwide. Sports media should see these games as an opportunity to attract and engage the next generation of fans.

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