IOC: Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics watched by over 2b people

The Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games reached a global broadcast audience of more than 2 billion people, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced on Thursday.

According to independent research conducted on behalf of the IOC, Beijing 2022 has become the most digitally engaged Olympic Winter Games in history, with 2.01 billion viewers, up 5 percent from PyeongChang 2018 watching the Games through linear TV and digital platforms.

Viewers watched a total of 713 billion minutes of the Games coverage through Olympic media rights partners' channels, and Olympic social media also achieved 3.2 billion engagements and attracted more than 11 million new followers across various platforms.

Almost half of the viewers surveyed said they want to watch more Olympic Games coverage in the future, and 57 percent of teenagers between the ages of 13 and 19 want to watch more Olympic Games coverage in the coming years.

"Beijing 2022 was the most digitally engaged Olympic Winter Games in history. In close cooperation with our Media Rights Partners around the world, more coverage was made available than ever before, including a record amount via digital platforms," said IOC President Thomas Bach.

"With a global audience of over 2 billion, the Olympic Winter Games continue to be one of the most watched sports events in the world," he added.