PARIS (AP) — On the heels of low ratings for the coronavirus pandemic-marred Tokyo and Beijing Olympics, Paris may not do much better among U.S. viewers, a poll from Gallup released Thursday found.
But according to the poll, 30% of respondents said they will not watch any of the Games, 34% said they will not watch much and 35% said they would watch at least a fair amount. That last figure is down from the 48% measured before the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. Gallup did not measure viewing intentions for the Tokyo Olympics, which were delayed a year.
The last three Olympics, including the 2018 Pyeongchang Games, were held in time zones that limited how much live action NBC could air in prime time.
The network did not immediately respond to The Associated Press’ request for comment on the poll. Biles and the rest of the U.S. gymnastics squad could bring in high ratings, though, with Gallup finding in general that women’s sports were as anticipated as men’s. Forty-two percent chose women’s gymnastics as their most anticipated sport, while around two-thirds of respondents ranked it in their top three. That competition begins with qualifying on Sunday.