Disclaimer: This report is provided for informational purposes only. Brandwatch is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or officially connected to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) or the Olympic Games. All data and insights presented are based on independent analysis and are not intended to imply any formal relationship with the Olympic entities. 

The Summer Games, which kicked off on July 26, 2024, have once again captivated consumer attention all around the globe. What’s been buzzing in games-related conversations online?  In this blog, we analyze online discussions and coverage of the 2024 Summer Games using Brandwatch Consumer Research.  

Viewer insights around the Summer Games

A recent industry study showed that 78% of US consumers who planned to watch the 2024 Summer Games plan to do so on social media. 

Brandwatch data surfaced mentions naming popular social networks like X and TikTok as consumers' main sources of games-related updates.  

Many consumers found content from the Summer Games on TikTok highly entertaining. They’ve enjoyed watching content from behind the scenes, such as athletes sharing their journeys and perspectives, different personalities, room and dining hall tours, and more. 

Our research also suggests that many consumers prefer to watch the games in the intimate settings of their homes. Between July 23 and July 28, 2024, we found close to 2.6k mentions of people saying they were watching the Summer Games at home or on TV. 

Aside from comfort, some cited that this is a rare opportunity to view sports that aren’t typically broadcasted on TV during the rest of the year.  

K-pop's influence extends to the Summer Games

We’ve highlighted BTS’s global impact in our content before, including in our article on 10 Mind-Blowing BTS Facts and Statistics. 

This year, trending conversations revealed a significant influence of K-pop on the Summer Games, with BTS member Jin making history as the first Korean Artist to serve as a torchbearer.  

Between January 1 and July 28, 2024, Jin was mentioned over 1.73m times in summer games-related conversations.  

This post featuring Jin carrying the torch was reposted the most on X between January 1 and July 28, 2024, accounting for over 101k reposts.  

On top of that, Jin also landed four out of ten spots in the list of the most popular hashtags shared in Summer Games-related conversations on X between July 1 and July 28, 2024. Top hashtags included references to the host city, the global sporting event, the opening ceremony, and several hashtags in Korean, celebrating Jin’s participation as a torchbearer. 

First impressions of the games

The Summer Games online conversation in July 2024 was quite negative, with 24% of all mentions reflecting negative sentiment, and 12% accounting for positive mentions (the rest being neutral). 

Not all people who watched the opening ceremony were happy from the get-go. 

This post praising the opening ceremony in Greece in 2004 and sharing subtle criticism toward this year’s ceremony, spiked on social, gathering the highest volume of engagement: over 2m views, 30k reposts, and over 5k likes on X. 

Our sentiment analysis showed that in negative conversations about the Summer Games, many people weren’t thrilled about the opening ceremony, particularly its modern portrayal of the Last Supper, which many found disrespectful. 

“Boycott” gathered over 448k mentions the week of the Summer Games (between July 23 – July 28, 2024).  

We also tracked over 6k mentions of “will never watch” and “never watching” in Summer Games-related conversations between July 1 and July 28, 2024. 

Given how emotional the games-related conversation has been, one brand took an appropriate action to promote the safety of their audience. LGBT+ dating app Grindr disabled the app’s location-based features at the Summer Games and enhanced privacy measures. 

In positive discussions, many people seemed to agree with the post on X, applauding the music choice during the opening, calling it “a top-five moment in metal history.” This post gathered over 33k likes and 4k reposts.  

The week of the Summer Games, between July 23 – 28, 2024, Celine Dion was the most mentioned celebrity name in conversations about the games, scoring close to 222k mentions.  

Consumers react to the commercials

It’s been just a few days since the beginning of the Summer Games, but we are already seeing consumer reactions to brands online. 

Many viewers reacted to high volumes of commercials interrupting the games, calling this practice highly disruptive.  

The Peacock streaming service gathered 2.6k mentions in Summer Games-related conversations that also talked about commercials. 

But not everyone was pissed about commercials during the games. Some commercials conveyed stories consumers related to on an emotional level. 

Key takeaways

We saw many mentions of consumers feeling inspired after watching or reading Summer Games-related personal stories of overcoming challenges. Brands that haven’t yet should take notice of the effectiveness of emotional storytelling and consider incorporating it into their strategy. Highlighting personal stories, much like those in the Summer Games, can inspire and deeply resonate with audiences, creating a positive and lasting impact. 

Disclaimer: This content is provided for informational purposes only and does not imply any affiliation with, endorsement by, or official connection to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) or the Olympic Games.