The 2024 Paris Olympic Games are set to be the first ‘Social Media Olympics’, poised to break records and captivate online audiences like never before, according to social media performance specialist, Hootsuite.
Using global insights from social platforms like TikTok and X, as well as online sources such as Reddit, blogs, magazines, forums, and news sites, Hootsuite data also highlights the sports gaining popularity online.
Paris set to outshine Tokyo games online
As stars like Rafael Nadal and Snoop Dogg carried the Olympic torch into the iconic opening ceremony, Hootsuite data shows Paris’s event generated 342% more online mentions than Tokyo’s (with 569k mentions compared to 129k for Tokyo).
In the crucial 30 days leading up to the opening ceremony, the Paris Olympics have already made waves with over 4.1 million mentions – an impressive 46% increase compared to Tokyo’s 2.8 million during the same period. Adding to the excitement, Paris has racked up 211.8 million online engagements, marking a staggering 216% increase over Tokyo’s 67 million engagements during the lead-up.
During the entire Tokyo Games, the event was mentioned 8.4 million times online. Hootsuite predictions suggest that the Paris Games will exceed 10 million total mentions by the end of the closing ceremony, beating Tokyo’s record.
Hootsuite experts say the Paris Olympics have been a viral sensation even before the Games officially began. For the first time, fans are getting an unprecedented inside look into the lives of Olympians. From viral trends featuring athletes showcasing their Olympic kits to behind-the-scenes tours of the Olympic Village.
The social media performance engine shows this online exposure offers athletes a unique opportunity to build their personal brands. Competing for likes and followers, as well as medals, can lead to brand deals and partnerships.
For brands, this is also an invaluable moment to connect with audiences online, as research from Hootsuite’s Social Media Consumer Report also revealed that sporting events are the number one thing consumers want brands to talk about on social media (75%).
Traditional sports hold ground as new contenders catch fire
Ahead of the Olympics, the data reveals which sports fans are most excited to see at the games. Traditional Olympic sports like swimming, gymnastics, athletics, football, and basketball are generating significant excitement online (see Table 1). However, new and emerging sports are also gaining traction; for instance, breakdancing is currently ranked 6th in online discussions out of the 32 sports at the Paris Games.
Hootsuite experts note that the competition for gold, silver, and bronze in online buzz is wide open. The Paris 2024 Olympics are more than just a sporting event – it’s a global social media phenomenon.
| Sport | Mentions | Engagement |
| Basketball | 206k | 20.6M |
| Football | 203k | 4.2M |
| Swimming | 174k | 5.3M |
| Gymnastics | 161k | 18M |
| Athletics | 150k | 3.4M |
| Breakdancing | 136k | 2.2M |
Using its social listening capabilities following the recent Talkwalker acquisition, Hootsuite analysed global mentions and engagement for the Paris 2024 Olympics, including the opening ceremony and the 30-day lead-up, as well as the Tokyo 2021 Olympics’ total mentions and 30-day run-up. The analysis covered social media platforms such as Twitter and TikTok, alongside online sources including Reddit, blogs, magazines, forums, newspapers, TV/radio, and online news. Only publicly available data was used, adhering to the limitations and conditions set by the various social media channels.
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