The International Olympic Committee has claimed the Tokyo 2020 Olympics saw a 74 per cent increase in digital viewers from Rio 2016, with the Games claimed to have reached a global audience of 3.05 billion people.

The IOC made the statement in their Tokyo 2020 marketing report, with the organisation saying it worked with rights-holding broadcasters to deliver the first "streaming Games".

It is claimed there were 28 billion digital video views of Games content, along with 23 billon hours consumed across television and digital media.

Video views on digital platforms reportedly experienced an increase of 139 per cent compared to Rio 2016.

Olympic Broadcasting Services reportedly produced 10,200 hours of content, representing a 44 per cent increase compared to Rio 2016.

The IOC said the Olympics website and app had 196 million unique users, an increase of 3.4 times from the previous Games, while 6.1 billion digital engagements on Olympics social media channels was also reported.

"The Games reached new heights off the field of play, with historic broadcast ratings, unprecedented digital engagement and innovative marketing campaigns all helping to bring the world together like never before for an Olympic Games," said Jiri Kejval, IOC Marketing Commission chair.

"Thanks to OBS and our rights-holding broadcasters, fans were able to enjoy Tokyo 2020 content on more screens than ever through TV, digital platforms, apps and social media.

"The huge global interest in the Games was typified within the host nation of Japan, where nine of 10 people watched some coverage of Tokyo 2020."

"This incredible level of engagement was seen throughout the world, with our broadcast partners enjoying a much higher share of viewing than their typical average and their streaming platforms in particular experiencing record numbers of views," Kejval added.

"By sharing the magic of the Olympic Games with people around the world, our broadcast partners played an indispensable role in uniting the globe in the spirit and emotion of Tokyo 2020 and, with fans unable to attend these Games, their role was more important than ever."

The IOC claims Tokyo 2020 represented a landmark moment in its efforts to transform the Olympic Games for the digital era.

The organisation highlighted the recommendation in the Olympic Agenda 2020+5 roadmap to "grow digital engagement with people".

The IOC said the absence of spectators due to the COVID-19 pandemic led to the creation of a variety of digital engagement initiatives.

This included the Fan Video Wall and Virtual Cheers, which were part of campaigns to show support for athletes.

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Since joining insidethegames.biz in 2015, Michael Pavitt has covered a variety of international multi-sport events, such as the Commonwealth Games, Youth Olympics and World University Games. 

He has reported from several continental events, including two editions of the Pan American Games, as well as the European Games, Pacific Games and the Asian Winter Games.

Michael has also covered multiple IOC Sessions, ANOC General Assemblies and International Federation Congresses. He has reported extensively from Tokyo in the build-up to the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

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Support insidethegames.biz for as little as £10

For nearly 15 years now, insidethegames.biz has been at the forefront of reporting fearlessly on what happens in the Olympic Movement. As the first website not to be placed behind a paywall, we have made news about the International Olympic Committee, the Olympic and Paralympic Games, the Commonwealth Games and other major events more accessible than ever to everybody. 

insidethegames.biz has established a global reputation for the excellence of its reporting and breadth of its coverage. For many of our readers from more than 200 countries and territories around the world the website is a vital part of their daily lives. The ping of our free daily email alert, sent every morning at 6.30am UK time 365 days a year, landing in their inbox, is as a familiar part of their day as their first cup of coffee.

Even during the worst times of the COVID-19 pandemic, insidethegames.biz maintained its high standard of reporting on all the news from around the globe on a daily basis. We were the first publication in the world to signal the threat that the Olympic Movement faced from the coronavirus and have provided unparalleled coverage of the pandemic since. 

As the world begins to emerge from the COVID crisis, insidethegames.biz would like to invite you to help us on our journey by funding our independent journalism. Your vital support would mean we can continue to report so comprehensively on the Olympic Movement and the events that shape it. It would mean we can keep our website open for everyone. Last year, nearly 25 million people read insidethegames.biz, making us by far the biggest source of independent news on what is happening in world sport. 

Every contribution, however big or small, will help maintain and improve our worldwide coverage in the year ahead. Our small and dedicated team were extremely busy last year covering the re-arranged Olympic and Paralympic Games in Tokyo, an unprecedented logistical challenge that stretched our tight resources to the limit. 

The remainder of 2022 is not going to be any less busy, or less challenging. We had the Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games in Beijing, where we sent a team of four reporters, and coming up are the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, the Summer World University and Asian Games in China, the World Games in Alabama and multiple World Championships. Plus, of course, there is the FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

Unlike many others, insidethegames.biz is available for everyone to read, regardless of what they can afford to pay. We do this because we believe that sport belongs to everybody, and everybody should be able to read information regardless of their financial situation. While others try to benefit financially from information, we are committed to sharing it with as many people as possible. The greater the number of people that can keep up to date with global events, and understand their impact, the more sport will be forced to be transparent.

Support insidethegames.biz for as little as £10 - it only takes a minute. If you can, please consider supporting us with a regular amount each month. Thank you.