CBC’S DIGITAL AND STREAMING platforms grew record-high audiences over the course of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, with Canadians streaming more than 37 million video views, a 62% increase over the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics, according to a CBC press release today.
CBC platforms include CBC.ca, the CBC Olympics App and CBC Gem. Live views made up 61% of all video views across CBC’s digital platforms, and connected TVs accounted for about 68% of the total time spent streaming Tokyo 2020 content on CBC Gem, the release says.
“In total, Canadians consumed nearly 17 million hours of digital Olympic content on CBC digital platforms, with time spent reaching the highest one-day total on record for CBC on Friday, August 6, the day of the women’s soccer gold medal game,” reads the release, which cites Adobe Analytics as CBC’s digital data source.
On the traditional TV side, 28 million viewers (or 74% of all Canadians) tuned in for Tokyo 2020 coverage on CBC/Radio-Canada, according to Numeris TV meter data cited in the release.
In addition, CBC ranked as the most-watched network in Canada for 17 consecutive days, delivering a 21.4% audience share in the English TV market, including 33% of viewers in the 25-54 demographic.
The Canadian women’s soccer team’s historic gold medal win was the most-watched Olympics moment on CBC TV, with 4.4 million Canadians watching live on television as Julia Grosso scored her winning penalty kick against Sweden at 10:47 a.m. ET on August 6.
“With so much uncertainty in the lead up to Tokyo 2020, it’s been incredible to see Canadians rally around the Games and the athletes, and gravitate to CBC’s coverage across all of our platforms and at all hours,” said Chris Wilson, executive director of sports and Olympics for CBC, in the release.
“Whether watching online, through apps, social media or on television, millions of viewers across the country tuned in and engaged with CBC’s coverage each day, demonstrating the continued relevance of the Olympic Games,” Wilson said. “We couldn’t be more proud to share the stories of these athletes with Canadians, and bring them every moment of importance from the world’s biggest stage. We look forward to continuing our coverage with the Paralympic Games beginning August 24, and doing it all again in six months from Beijing.”
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Updated August 11:
François Messier, CBC/Radio-Canada’s Chef de Mission, Tokyo 2020 thanked CBC staff for their work during the Olympic Games in a note circulated internally at the CBC. “Your stellar teamwork in the face of the many distances- and pandemic-imposed changes allowed the public broadcaster to deliver an experience that was just about on par with being there: a more thrilling, more connected Games that brought Canadians together like never before,” he said.
Examples of CBC’s achievements highlighted by Messier in the note include “our digital platforms (website, apps, etc.), for the first time designed entirely in-house; the 23 hours of daily content available to Canadians through our main networks; the extraordinary programming on CBC Gem and ICI TOU.TV; and the agreement with Amazon to have our Olympic coverage available on Prime Video, live and on-demand and in both English and French.”
Messier also highlighted the innovative approach to the Olympics the CBC took, mentioning “holographic interviews with the athletes in Tokyo, carried out here in Canada, where we chose to keep our studios.”
