At prime time each night, NBC airs the day’s highlights from the Paris Olympics to tens of millions of people. Viewers have watched the US women’s gymnastics team clinch gold in a “redemption tour” after winning silver in Tokyo; they’ve been in awe when US swimmer Katie Ledecky finished a race, her competitors so far behind her that they’re not even in the frame.
But the most fascinating and eccentric Olympics coverage is happening on TikTok.
The appetite for Olympics content was evident before the opening ceremony. For weeks, the official Olympic and Paralympic accounts shared videos meant to get people excited across different social media platforms. The Olympics (and other sporting big events in general) thrive on the storylines:...
