What's happened
The summer of sport concluded with record viewership for the Paralympics and Euro 2024. Channel 4 reported 18.5 million viewers for the Paralympics, while STV celebrated nearly 1.4 million Scots tuning into the Euro opener. Sports viewing remains resilient amid declining broadcast TV ratings.
Why it matters
What the papers say
According to Sean Ingle in The Guardian, the summer of sport concluded with impressive viewership numbers, particularly for the Paralympics, which reached 18.5 million viewers, a significant increase from Tokyo 2020. Rachael Healy also highlighted the accessibility improvements in coverage, making it the most inclusive Games to date. Meanwhile, Scott Reid from The Scotsman reported that STV's Euro 2024 coverage was a commercial success, with nearly 1.4 million Scots tuning in for the opening match. This trend indicates a robust interest in sports programming, even as overall TV viewership declines. The Enders Analysis report further supports this, noting that sports viewing remains a resilient component of broadcast TV, countering the narrative that younger audiences are disengaged from traditional sports.
How we got here
The summer of 2024 saw significant sporting events, including the Euro 2024 and the Paris Paralympics. Despite a general decline in broadcast TV viewership, sports programming has shown resilience, attracting large audiences and increasing engagement, particularly among younger viewers.
Common question
-
Why Did Paralympics and Euro 2024 Ratings Surge This Summer?
The summer of 2024 marked a significant turning point in sports viewership, with record-breaking ratings for both the Paralympics and Euro 2024. This surge raises questions about the factors driving audience engagement and what it means for the future of sports broadcasting. Below, we explore the key questions surrounding this impressive trend.
More on these topics
-
STV is a Scottish free-to-air television channel serving Scotland. It operates the two ITV network licences in northern and central Scotland, formerly known as Grampian Television and Scottish Television.
-
ITV is a British free-to-air television network with its headquarters in London. It was launched in 1955 as Independent Television to provide competition to BBC Television, which had been established in 1932.