Which is bigger The World Cup or Olympics?

Cienciano · 22-06-2018 11:29AM

For casual fans that never watch sports, the Olympics. I mean, who the fúck watches swimming, rowing and badminton if it's not the Olympics? Even track and field big meetings aren't that popular outside the Olympics and they're the main event for the Olympics. I think the fact that there's more people that watch football week in, week out puts the World Cup at 1. I mean, the all Ireland gaelic football championship is far bigger than the Olympics in Ireland.
Ireland get a gold medal in showjumping, it's hard to really get worked up about that.
I'm biased though, I'm a football fan. I'd rather watch Argentina Croatia which I have no connection with than an irish guy compete in the 30km walk.

s7ryf3925pivug · 22-06-2018 11:30AM

World cup in Europe and South America. Olympics elsewhere. Rugby world cup is only a big deal in eight countries and only bigger than the world cup in two or three.

Franz Von Peppercorn · 22-06-2018 11:31AM

Aegir wrote: »

I think. You might be overstating the figures a bit, unless people on other planets are watching as well.

The IPL and cricket world cups need a mention as well, mainly due to over one billion cricket mad Indians, but still high viewing figures all the same.

I’m not overstating anything - I’m reporting my google searches. There are 7B people on the planet so none of these figures is impossible.

Of course the Tour de France figure is rubbish but I explained why - they are summing up all the individual day’s viewership as unique.

Edit: ah, I see what you mean. Corrected! Also added the cricket World Cup which tops the list

shakeitoff · 22-06-2018 11:32AM

Franz Von Peppercorn wrote: »

Pretty sure rugby players would be recognised in Paris. Maybe pick a different European city.

Depends on the player. I wouldn't be surprised if Dan Carter was able to enjoy a quiet enough life in his time there. Depends on how flashy he was of course. You'd notice an over compensating athlete with money if they wanted you to recognise them.

There's no real rugby star right now or anyone that really transcends the sport.

s7ryf3925pivug · 22-06-2018 11:32AM

Cienciano wrote: »

For casual fans that never watch sports, the Olympics. I mean, who the fúck watches swimming, rowing and badminton if it's not the Olympics? Even track and field big meetings aren't that popular outside the Olympics and they're the main event for the Olympics. I think the fact that there's more people that watch football week in, week out puts the World Cup at 1. I mean, the all Ireland gaelic football championship is far bigger than the Olympics in Ireland.
Ireland get a gold medal in showjumping, it's hard to really get worked up about that.
I'm biased though, I'm a football fan. I'd rather watch Argentina Croatia which I have no connection with than an irish guy compete in the 30km walk.

Nah I only watch world cup or european cup soccer and I have zero interest in the olympics

Cienciano · 22-06-2018 11:43AM

Amayah Squeaking Infant wrote: »

Nah I only watch world cup or european cup soccer and I have zero interest in the olympics

One race that I genuinely like in the Olympics is the 1500m. It's the perfect length imho to have good strategy and not be boring. Having said that, I couldn't be bothered if I missed it.

22-06-2018 11:47AM

Olympics can be held in one city, World Cup needs a full country, or two, or three.

shakeitoff · 22-06-2018 11:50AM

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/oct/06/japans-rugby-world-cup-success-breaks-world-tv-viewing-record

That's impressive. I think that's how many Americans watched their last 16 game against Belgium(although with matches held in stadiums and massive public parks) the number was probably way higher.

SnazzyPig · 22-06-2018 11:51AM

satguy wrote: »

1. World Cup
2. Olympics
3. Rugby World Cup
4. UEFA European Championship
5. ?

1. World Cup
2. Olympics
3. Rugby World Cup
4. UEFA European Championship
5. ?
? Rugby World Cup

The Cricket World Cup is almost certainly bigger in viewing figures than the Rugby world cup.

Tom Mann Centuria · 22-06-2018 11:51AM

Amayah Squeaking Infant wrote: »

World cup in Europe and South America. Olympics elsewhere. Rugby world cup is only a big deal in eight countries and only bigger than the world cup in two or three.

Fairly sure the World Cup would be more popular than the Olympics in huge swathes of Africa too.

22-06-2018 11:59AM

shakeitoff wrote: »

Depends on the player. I wouldn't be surprised if Dan Carter was able to enjoy a quiet enough life in his time there. Depends on how flashy he was of course. You'd notice an over compensating athlete with money if they wanted you to recognise them.

There's no real rugby star right now or anyone that really transcends the sport.

A friend of a friend, who was pretty decent number eight in his day, was asked to coach the Richmond under 11s a few years back and when introduced to his new squad, was asking their names

First kid: Peter Williams
Friend: Any relation to JPR Williams?
First kid: no sir

Second kid: Lucas sir, Lucas Brooke
Friend: Any relation to Zin Zan?
Second kid: Yes sir, that's my father. He's the big guy over there on the touch line
friend: Bollocks

anyway, I digress, sorry.

Arghus · 22-06-2018 12:09PM

I don't know really what you mean by "bigger." More important? More widely watched? Harder to host? What does bigger mean?

Previously, I would have always put The World Cup on a bigger pedestal to The Olympics, but it's harder to call for me now. I think The World Cup still captures world wide attention in a way the Olympics doesn't. It's very focused, all over the world people tune into individual matches, whereas the Olympics is spread out over different disciplines and there is a lot of it that people don't follow. However...

I adore football and just love, love, love the World Cup, but after watching the Rio games night after night I've come around to the idea that the Olympics is many ways the better sporting event: I can't really deny it.

It's the hugeness of it, the sheer variety, the fact that it's the absolute pinnacle of achievement in most of these sports. And while some of these sports may be admittedly dull to the unexpert eye, some of them are absolutely mind blowing. I saw some feats of human performance, particularly in the gymnastics, that caused me to - "wahhh? Holy fuckin' shi t!..." - doubt the validity of what I was seeing with my own eyes.

The Rugby World Cup isn't even in the conversation.

meeeeh · 22-06-2018 12:22PM

Franz Von Peppercorn wrote: »

The figures I see for live viewership are

3) rugby WC = 120 M

I'm pretty sure that number is either for whole RWC not just the final or from Bernie Eccelstone school of counting when F1 had more viewers that there were people on the planet.

22-06-2018 12:28PM

I think it's the World Cup. It's a huge deal all round the world with people organising watching games. The Olympics is more something you throw on when you're at home and enjoy.

This is the first world cup I've ever bothered with cause the brother is here watching it. It's been great so far, and it has a continuity that doesn't exist with one off events at the Olympics.

Billy86 · 22-06-2018 12:33PM

OneOfThem Stumbled wrote: »

Rugby isn't big in China, India, or Germany. While that's pretty significant, neither China nor India care about the Football much either. Even with the Olympics, India doesn't care all that much.

How many countries take part in the superbowl?

Well if it's about countries taking part then we can close the thread and give it to the Olympics. If we are measuring which is the biggest event, I would consider that go have more to do with the number of people/countries interested in it, than the number of countries partaking in it.

Franz Von Peppercorn · 22-06-2018 12:36PM

meeeeh wrote: »

I'm pretty sure that number is either for whole RWC not just the final or from Bernie Eccelstone school of counting when F1 had more viewers that there were people on the planet.

No it’s the final. I was clear to distinguish one off events from the entire competition.

https://www.rugbyworldcup.com/news/121819?lang=en

McTigs · 22-06-2018 12:39PM

There is no doubt that football is the most globally inclusive and popular sport. There is pretty much no barrier to participation, not geographically, not ethnically, not socio-economically. It's the great leveller in that regard with every country competing at the same level in the same sport.

so World Cup for me.

Love the Olympics too mind

Billy86 · 22-06-2018 12:42PM

Franz Von Peppercorn wrote: »

The figures I see for live viewership are

1) cricket WC ( 2015) 1.5B
2) football WC = 1B
3) rugby WC = 120 M
4) NFL final = 111M (us)
5) Euro final = 110M (Europe)

I know the last two are limited to the US and Europe only but that’s what mr google told me.

As for the NFL there may be some interest outside the US for the live transmission but not much.

Estimates are typically 100-110mn viewers in north America, and 50mn across the rest of the world. That's getting harder to track though since the NFL are "losing" TV viewers to their own subscription app/channel, NFL Gamepass (something I would love to see from other sports, and it seems to be catching on a little).

meeeeh · 22-06-2018 01:03PM

Franz Von Peppercorn wrote: »

No it’s the final. I was clear to distinguish one off events from the entire competition.

https://www.rugbyworldcup.com/news/121819?lang=en

I saw that article earlier. It's an estimated number and I actually looked for additional source for ratings that is not rugbyworldcup.com and couldn't find it. I'm not saying you posted wrong number, I am dubious about the source material.

Eggs For Dinner · 22-06-2018 02:08PM

The Cricket World Cup would be watched by many multiples of the Rugby World Cup viewers

Franz Von Peppercorn · 22-06-2018 02:19PM

meeeeh wrote: »

I saw that article earlier. It's an estimated number and I actually looked for additional source for ratings that is not rugbyworldcup.com and couldn't find it. I'm not saying you posted wrong number, I am dubious about the source material.

Why? They are all estimated numbers for global audiences.

The article says that the Japanese had 25M people watching a game vs Samoa. Even if Japan didn’t reach the final at least some of those viewers would have watched the final.

Then there’s the U.K., Ireland, Australia, France, Argentina etc. Plus anywhere else who like watching events, like the 50M non US citizens who watch the Super Bowl.

Franz Von Peppercorn · 22-06-2018 02:21PM

Eggs For Dinner wrote: »

The Cricket World Cup would be watched by many multiples of the Rugby World Cup viewers

More than the football WC too.

Red_Wake · 22-06-2018 02:23PM

I would say the World Cup, Olympics, Euros, Copa America, Asian equivalent of Euros, Cricket[from India alone it prob gets the guts of 100M viewers], Wimbledon, Ping Pong[iirc the most popular sport in China].

A dozen or more spaces down is prob where the RWC is.

The media wouldn't admit, but rugger is a niche sport in nearly every country in the world. Ryle Nugent would have pissed away the entire licence fee on a chance to suck off an All Black, and that's why it always got so much prominence on RTE. Hopefully that will change with the prick gone.

Billy86 · 22-06-2018 02:26PM

Franz Von Peppercorn wrote: »

Why? They are all estimated numbers for global audiences.

The article says that the Japanese had 25M people watching a game vs Samoa. Even if Japan didn’t reach the final at least some of those viewers would have watched the final.

Then there’s the U.K., Ireland, Australia, France, Argentina etc. Plus anywhere else who like watching events, like the 50M non US citizens who watch the Super Bowl.

The 2015 final was quite pop mar in Toronto. Nothing major, but a bit if a buzz about it. Its an odd one there because they play it in school a lot, follow the nfl a lot (tends be be an overlap in fanbases and the sports in general) but seem to just stop playing the sport entirely once they graduate despite it seeming like a very good 'fit' for the country as a popular sport.

Irish Guitarist · 22-06-2018 02:38PM

The Olympic torch seems to be thought of as an icon of ancient, almost religious significance.

Then there's Chariots Of Fire by Vangelis.

In comparison the only World Cup songs I know are by the likes of New Order and The Lightning Seeds with Baddiel and Skinner as well as Give It A Lash Jack or whatever it was called. The first two are patriotic English football teams and the third is an Irish one. There doesn't seem to be any unifying song about all the teams taking part. Although Chariots of Fire was from a film about a British athlete the theme tune seems to be seen as the theme of the Olympics in general. It also seems to be considered as being about the triumph of the human spirit as opposed to just gloating about beating someone at a game.

I couldn't give a shite about any sporting event myself but it's easier to sell the significance of the Olympics and make it seem like it has a deeper meaning than sport.

wakka12 · 22-06-2018 02:48PM

Olympics because even people who generally aren't into sport at all get very into it(me)

facehugger99 · 22-06-2018 03:17PM

I like stuff that happens every 4 years.

The Olympics,
The Football and Rugby World Cups
The European Championships
The Lions Tours
The American Presidency elections
Leap Years

Taytoland · 22-06-2018 03:21PM

The World cup by a mile. Countries literally come to a standstill when their own team is playing.

The_Kew_Tour · 22-06-2018 03:21PM

Irish Guitarist wrote: »

The Olympic torch seems to be thought of as an icon of ancient, almost religious significance.

Then there's Chariots Of Fire by Vangelis.

In comparison the only World Cup songs I know are by the likes of New Order and The Lightning Seeds with Baddiel and Skinner as well as Give It A Lash Jack or whatever it was called. The first two are patriotic English football teams and the third is an Irish one. There doesn't seem to be any unifying song about all the teams taking part. Although Chariots of Fire was from a film about a British athlete the theme tune seems to be seen as the theme of the Olympics in general. It also seems to be considered as being about the triumph of the human spirit as opposed to just gloating about beating someone at a game.

I couldn't give a shite about any sporting event myself but it's easier to sell the significance of the Olympics and make it seem like it has a deeper meaning than sport.

It's not a a song contest, it's sporting ones

Duffy the Vampire Slayer · 22-06-2018 03:25PM

The Rugby World Cup is a non event outside a handful of countries.

Which is bigger The World Cup or Olympics?

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