Why No One is Watching the Olympics

Progressives aren’t exactly in the mood to cheer the U.S.A. and conservatives can’t stand seeing the American flag disrespected by activist athletes.

Photo by Bryan Turner on Unsplash.

Week after week, day after day, through swim heats and pole vaults, wrestling matches and judo competitions, interest in the 2021 (nee, 2020) Summer Olympic Games has been anemic at best.

An international event, the Summer Olympics used to command a wide audience from all over the world, drawing fans and media attention to a degree if not on par with the World Cup, which is also only held once every four years by a changing host country, then at least in the ballpark.

Not this year, though.

In the U.S. at any rate, American households have by and large tuned out, turned the channel, and moved on. Perhaps permanently.

There is a great deal of inner-industry finger pointing as to why. And, as with most results, there is probably more than one cause for the growing apathy of television and online audiences.

International Olympic Committee executives are anxious to blame COVID-19 for the general lack of interest in this year’s games. While the pandemic has undoubtably changed many of our habits, what it has not done is cause us to watch less television, however.

That the games were postponed from 2020 should have actually made sports fans even more anxious to watch their favorites compete.

The lack of fans at the events was bound to put something of a damper on the “celebration”- so that must certainly be a factor. There are also some who don’t believe the games should have been held this year at all.

The advent of extreme sports, the X-Games, and other sports exhibitions over the last decades undoubtably played some role in weakening the appeal of the Olympics. Viewership, which peaked decades ago, has been on a steady decline ever since. The last Summer Olympics, held in Rio, weren’t especially well-attended by at-home audiences.

Political polarization, which is becoming more extreme and pronounced by the day, is also likely playing a factor in dwindling support.

There is the growing sentiment, in wider and wider progressive circles, that the basic immorality of the…