eMarketer: 2.85bn people to stream Rio Olympics

Paul Verna

Paul Verna

Some 2.85 billion people worldwide are expected to stream the Rio Olympics, a 1.5 times increase on the 2012 London Games, according to eMarketer estimates.

The research firm predicts that in the UK 160 million people will stream this summer’s Olympics, while in the US the figure will be 320 million – roughly twice the number of the last games.

“While the previous Olympic Games in Sochi and London featured massive amounts of live coverage on digital platforms, broadcasters are going further this year, raising the total streaming hours and focusing on mobile, connected TV, social media, even virtual reality,” said eMarketer senior analyst, Paul Verna.

“This increase highlights the growing importance of live sports streaming as a channel for advertisers to monetise.”

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