Digital media routine and audience engagement during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in Hungary

Abstract

Broadcasters play an integral role in the ecosystem of the Olympic Games through live coverage and digital platforms. This study examines the routine of digital media coverage of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games – held in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic – with a focus on Hungary. The Hungarian context is unique because of the traditionally emphatic sport-politics-national identity connection, which has been further strengthened since 2010. This connection is en­hanced by the government funded sport-focused public service channel, M4Sport. The analysis of the channel’s Facebook account illustrates that Olympic media coverage followed the sequence of sporting events that featured Hungarian athletes. The posts directed audiences to the live broadcasts. Hungarian medal winners generated the highest engagement ­numbers, while criticism directed at individual athletes became dramatized. This coverage promoted national success and ignored the socio-political context of the Games.

Keywords:

• Olympics
• social media
• broadcasting
• sports media
• Central and Eastern Europe

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).