Most Canadians to follow Paris Olympics: poll

A majority of Canadians will watch this summer’s Paris Olympics in some capacity but only a small percentage will follow closely, according to a new national poll.

Polling firm Leger asked more than 1,500 people about their views of the upcoming Summer Games and their overall perceptions of the Olympics in an online survey conducted between July 12 and 14.

Nine per cent of respondents answered that they would watch the Olympics closely and 43 per cent said they would follow some events.

Meanwhile, 27 per cent replied they would”probably not” plan on watching the Games, 16 per cent responded they would “definitely not” and four per cent didn’t know.

The poll, which is weighted to account for demographic differences, can’t be assigned a margin of error because online surveys are not considered truly random samples.

Canada’s team boasts 338 athletes, including 142 returning Olympians and 38 who’ve previously reached the podium.

The team features swimmer Penny Oleksiak — Canada’s most decorated Olympian with seven career medals — and sprinter Andre De Grasse, who’s close behind with six.

The Games officially start with opening ceremonies July 26 and close Aug. 11.

Leger asked how those likely to watch would follow the Olympics. Sixty-five per cent answered they’d view the games by television, while social media and online streaming services each received 24 per cent of the responses. A small faction of six per cent said they’d listen on the radio.

Among respondents over 55 years old, 81 per cent said they were more likely to watch television. Younger subjects preferred other mediums as 44 per cent of people aged 18 to 34 said they’d follow on social media and 39 per cent chose online streaming.

The CBC, the Canadian broadcast rights holder, plans 22 hours of Olympic programming each day. Coverage will be provided on traditional television, the CBC website, app and Gem streaming service, Radio-Canada, and via partner networks TSN, RDS and Sportsnet.

The poll also asked whether or not Canadians would like to see an Olympic Games on home soil in the future. Over half, 51 per cent, answered yes while 33 per cent were against it and 17 per cent didn’t know.

A Canadian city has hosted the Olympics three times. Montreal hosted the Summer Games in 1976, while Calgary in 1988 and Vancouver in 2010 conducted a Winter Olympics.

Based on survey takers who want another Olympics in Canada, 37 per cent preferred a Winter Games while 33 per cent responded summer.

A vast majority believe the Olympics benefit the host city’s economy, with 72 per cent answering the Games would have a “very positive” or “somewhat positive” impact.

Nearly half of Canadians surveyed (48 per cent) support the idea of having permanent host cities to reduce expenses and environmental impact.

Amid spiralling venue costs and climate change, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) may consider a rotation of host cities for the Winter Games with fewer mountain towns realistically able to host. Vancouver, which hosted mountain events in Whistler, B.C., is seen as a contending city.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 17, 2024.