Sochi resulted in NBC getting a big increase in views, and that big increase in views has also been eating away at Fox’s viewers and other channels’ viewers as well. What makes Sochi, and the Olympics in general, as popular as they are today?
The primary way the Olympics became popular is through word of mouth. People said things like this: “The guy can run fast.” “That girl just broke the record for skiing.” “That athlete just got the gold medal.” We also get to hear incredible stories when the media tells us what certain athletes do outside of their respective sports.
This word of mouth catches on, and people flock over to see the Olympic Games. When they see the Olympic Games, the first thing they notice is that the athletes are the best in the world. This leads to more word of mouth. Centuries ago, word of mouth meant people going from town to town telling people about the Olympic Games. For Sochi, word of mouth resulted in it trending on Twitter. Other people on various social networks told their friends about Sochi as well.
Another reason the Olympics are very popular is because they take place every four years. If the Olympics took place every day, they would become boring. All of the stunts and records you see would become normal. The stunts and records we see as remarkable would not be as remarkable if the Olympic Games took place every day.
Once every four years, many sporting events become more important. I never watch skiing or snowboarding, but I made an exception for Sochi, and I’m glad I did. There were some wipeouts and many excellent performances. We only get to see the wipeouts and performances every four years.
The fact that there is a four year wait builds suspense. When Sochi ends, I’m sure there will be a countdown clock on the web for the next Olympic Games. That cycle will most likely continue. As the date of the Olympic Games gets closer, more people start to look at the countdown on the web. Then, some news about certain athletes and countries trends on social networks. This builds more suspense for the opening ceremony. Then, the opening ceremony does happen, and millions of people become couch potatoes for a few days and watch the Olympics unfold.
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