Viacom18’s broadcast of the Paris 2024 Olympics achieved record viewership in India, with over 17 crore viewers tuning in across digital and linear platforms. The coverage, available for free on JioCinema and Sports18 Network, resulted in more than 1500 crore minutes of watch-time.
This was the first time the Olympics were presented in 4K quality in India, with 20 concurrent feeds, including 17 sport-specific and three curated feeds. The event was broadcast in multiple languages, including English, Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu.
The extensive coverage contributed to a 2.6x increase in advertising revenue compared to the previous Olympics. Sixty-nine brands participated, the highest number in Indian Olympic broadcasting history. Key sponsors included Reliance Foundation, SBI, JSW, Coca-Cola India, and Air India.
Viacom18’s coverage featured innovations like Split Screen ads and Branded Tabs on Medal Tally, enhancing advertiser engagement during key moments of the Games. Viewers can also continue to watch their preferred Olympic moments and refresh winning moments through highlights, and other snippets on Olympics sports by downloading JioCinema (iOS & Android).
“Paris 2024 is a prime example of how non-cricket sporting action is continuing to grow in adoption amongst Indian audiences. Both the viewership scale and the enthusiastic advertiser participation bear testimony to that. Our Olympic coverage was not just a world-class production, it allowed viewers to watch the action with studio experts (former Olympians), with commentary in local languages, along with compelling storytelling, and fascinating live & non-live coverage of every event across two weeks,” said Viacom18 – Digital CEO Kiran Mani. “Our endeavour is to constantly enhance the sports viewing experience, engaging sports fans across all screens and for longer, while giving advertisers the avenues and opportunities to reach their consumers most effectively.”