The Olympics are everywhere this week! NBC aires content all day & night across platforms, while social video shares the juicy highlights fans don’t want to miss. But there’s plenty more to the Olympics conversation on social, as we discuss in our weekly recap below.
This week, we’re talking:
- Social video’s Olympics winners so far
- #Believe-ing in Ted Lasso
- Support for Simone Biles
Olympics are Social Video Gold
As millions around the globe watch the Summer Olympics on TV (and streaming), it’s no surprise that interest extends to social video as well. From Friday, July 23 through Wednesday, July 28, the Olympics-related videos garnered +90 million YouTube views per day. By Monday, July 26, they totaled nearly 175 million views.
NBCUniversal and Olympic-owned channels make up many top creators. However, Mexico’s Marca Claro takes home the gold for most views thus far–with 156 million total! Official partners weren’t the only ones getting involved with Olympics content, either. One of the most-watched Olympics-related YouTube videos came from Ssundee, with an Among Us video that generated 4.5 million views.
Lasso-ing Good Vibes
Ted Lasso was an out-of-nowhere feel-good story on Apple TV+ last year. The show took everyone by surprise with its heart and character development. In the lead-up to season two’s premiere last Friday, the buzz continued as the show gains exciting momentum.
From June 1 – July 28, Twitter users from Diane Sawyer, The Late Show, & Reuters shared videos about Ted Lasso. Along with the promos from Apple, the total published Twitter videos reached 1,300. This trend is likely to continue as new episodes starring Jason Sudeikis debut every week.
Simone Biles is a Star on Social Video, Too
Team USA gymnast Simone Biles was already a star for her six Olympic medals (four gold). It turns out she’s pretty popular on social video as well — something that brands are keenly aware of. Her new partnership with Athleta generated 7.1 million video views on YouTube back in June. Biles has fueled over 104 million Facebook video views since June 1 alone.
Many videos showcase her stunning performances, while others celebrate her courage for speaking out about mental health. Since withdrawing from several Olympic events last week due to mental health concerns, over 1,100 Facebook videos have been uploaded. These videos focus on the mental toll that being an athlete of her caliber requires. The top videos on Facebook included contributions from The Herd, PBS Newshour, and USA Today, which shine a positive light on Biles and mental health overall.
Interested in the latest social video insights on the Olympics and other big cultural events? Check back next week for more.