Report · Sports

A third of Americans don't watch the Olympics

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One-in-three Americans (33%) say they do not watch the Olympics at all, according to a November 2025 Verasight survey.

Another 22% watch only a few specific events while the games are on, and 18% rarely watch, only occasionally seeing clips or highlights. Smaller shares tune in to some events every few days (15%) or make an effort to watch as much coverage as possible (11%).

Topline

single choice

Topline distribution

A third of Americans don't watch the Olympics.

Thinking about past Olympic Games, which of the following best describes your viewing habits (TV, YouTube, etc.)?

  • I do not watch the Olympics 33.0%
  • I only watch a few specific events every few days while the Olympic games are on 22.5%
  • I rarely watch the Olympics and only occasionally see clips or highlights 17.7%
  • I tune in to watch some events every few days while the Olympic games are on 15.3%
  • I make an effort to watch as much Olympic coverage as possible 11.5%

2025 · base n 1,000 · +/- 3.2%

Verasight APHA Omnibus Survey #2025-148

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Methodology

Full methodology
Mode
Verasight panel recruited via random address-based sampling, random person-to-person text messaging, and dynamic online targeting
Field dates
2025-11-14 → 2025-11-20
Base (unweighted)
1,000
Margin of error
+/- 3.2%
Module
Module 3

Source

Citation

Verasight APHA Omnibus Survey #2025-148, fielded November 14-20, 2025, N=1,000 US adults age 18+, +/- 3.2%.

https://reports.verasight.io/r/verasight-apha-2025#viewing-habits-for-past-olympic-games

Verasight survey methodology

How Verasight conducts surveys.

This page describes the Verasight general survey contract, separate from how the Data Library packages it. When a wave report is published, its field dates, sample sizes, and module breakdown are listed in that report.

Mode
Verasight panel recruited via random address-based sampling, random person-to-person text messaging, and dynamic online targeting.
Population
US adults age 18+.
Sample design
Surveys are run as omnibus or single-topic waves. Omnibus waves are split into modules with their own respondent set, typically around one thousand respondents per module.
Field window
Each wave specifies its own field dates. Most omnibus waves field across roughly two weeks.
Weighting
Per-module weighting to CPS targets including age, race and ethnicity, sex, income, education, region, and metropolitan status.
Partisanship benchmark
Pew Research Center's NPORS benchmarking surveys, three-year running average.
Vote benchmark
2024 presidential vote population benchmarks.
Margin of error
Typically about plus or minus 3.4 to 3.6 percent per module at standard module sizes. Question-level MoE is recomputed when a base shrinks materially below the module baseline.
Reporting
The canonical report hub is reports.verasight.io. Verified legacy reports remain on their original hosts, and unpublished reports are marked pending.
Transparency
Verasight is a member of the American Association for Public Opinion Research Transparency Initiative.

The canonical report hub is reports.verasight.io; older reports may remain on verified legacy hosts.