Did Millennials Ruin the Olympics?

Back in June , NBCUniversial CEO Steve Burkedescribedthe worst case scenario for the Olympic game :

We ignite up someday and the ratings are down 20 percent . If that chance , my prediction would be that millennials had been in a Facebook bubble or a Snapchat house of cards and the Olympics have arrive , and they did n’t have a go at it it .

Welp . look like that nightmare turn into a reality . Probably too concerned with Snapchatting their genitalia , catch their reflexion in dark CRT screen and mirror , or tweeting“daddy”at Bernie Sanders , it seems that the millennials forgot to tune into the Olympics games this year . The prime - metre viewership in the very of import 18 - to-49 - class - old demographic was down 25 percent from the London games four days ago , according to a Bloomberg articletitled“NBC ’s $ 12 Billion Olympic Bet Stumbles , Thanks to Millennials ” .

Argentina’s President Javier Milei (left) and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., holding a chainsaw in a photo posted to Kennedy’s X account on May 27. 2025.

Even though television viewership was down 17 per centum total , users streaming the issue through the NBC Sports App and NBCOlympics.com increased by 24 pct from the London games . Nevertheless , the Olympian viewership was lower than 2012 . The small-scale audiencemade it soNBC “ had to give buyers free commercial clip to make good on warrantee that a sure act of viewer would trade on television readiness , ” which is presumably why Bloomberg author Gerry Smith blamed the millennials for this Olympic - sized fail . NBC promised adman an audience of 21 million households and only 18.2 million ended up tune up in . The deuced millennials are ruining everything , an old might suspect from these numbers . But no ! Because Smithreports , this year ’s Olympics are look to draw in braggart earnings for NBC than the 2012 games .

It ’s unsurprising that the 2016 Olympics do n’t have the same select - time ratings as the London games . Television - look on refinement has interchange drastically in the retiring four age . We ’re still in the golden age of television receiver ; we just watch it otherwise than we used to . How many people under the years of 30 do you know who pay for cable ? ( I literally know one person . )

Really , it ’s NBC ’s occupation to adapt its programing to fit the current zeitgeist . It ’s vain to blame “ millennials ” for lower ratings because it ’s unavailing to a blame a whole genesis of people for any singular thing , or hold them accountable in any form of meaningful way . Millennials do n’t need to get down with the Olympics ; instead , the Olympics should pander to us millennials .

William Duplessie