The 2016 Olympic Games begin this week on August 5. For 16 days, all eyes will be on Rio de Janeiro.
And while jumpers are jumping, sprinters are sprinting, and shooters are shooting, tweeters will be tweeting. Social media will be full of conversations, arguments, and debates, and we want to see them all.
So that’s what we’ll do. We’ve built a social media hub for the Olympic Games – a live page featuring trending topics, social highlights, and precious, precious data.
Wondering which gymnast is this year’s breakout star? We’ll tell you.
Want to know how many people in Greenland are talking about the Olympics? Check the map (as of right now, it’s only three).
Get a glimpse at the kinds of social media data you could collect for yourself and your business.
See the biggest Olympic stories on social media
This will be an Olympics of firsts:
The first Olympic games broadcast in virtual reality
The first time that South Sudan will compete as a nation
The first games hosted in a South American city
The first team composed entirely of refugees
The first time rugby sevens will be played at the Olympics, and the return of golf after more than a century
And then there are the major headlines.
Will Usain Bolt and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce repeat their sprinting wins for Jamaica?
Can Michael Phelps add to his already world record-setting 18 gold medals?
Plus, there’s serious star power with the likes of Neymar, Serena Williams, and Team USA’s basketball superstars.
One thing’s for certain: people will be talking about these Olympics. We all want to know exactly who people are talking about and what they’re saying.
So to help you keep up, we’ve created a dedicated monitoring page for Rio 2016. We’ll catch all the biggest stories, the best photos, and every trending topic.
Our Olympics coverage is live! Check it out now.
Visit the page daily for changes and updated data. Here are some of the key social statistics you’ll find.
Discover the most talked-about competing countries
After every big event, fans will rush to social media to talk about it. You’ll quickly know which countries have the most passionate supporters.
Every tweet, YouTube video, and Instagram post counts.
But it’s not enough to know which countries people are talking about. You’ll also get to see where they’re engaging from.
See where Olympic conversations come from
The London Olympics in 2012 was the most watched event in history. Nearly 220 million Americans tuned in, but that number is nothing compared to the estimated 3.6 billion viewers that tuned in worldwide.
The International Olympic Committee expects at least the same number this year. Using our social media map, you can see all the biggest markets for the Olympics on social media. You’ll also see where they aren’t being discussed at all:
This is an interesting tool for brands exploring new markets, and it’s always fun to see where people are posting from. And as our data is live, you can expect to see changes throughout the day, as people in different timezones start talking.
Monitor the top sponsors at Rio 2016
Not a big sports fan? No problem. The Olympics are also a major event for corporate sponsorships, and Rio will be no different. Olympic sponsorship is so exclusive that becoming a “partner” of the games now reportedly costs a tremendous $200 million for a four-year slot.
That investment does have a few perks, though. Food retailers were infamously forbidden from selling french fries during London 2012 – except for McDonald’s – and all ATMs at Olympic venues were changed to Visa machines.
This year, we’ll be watching social media conversations about all the major sponsors. After pumping all of that money into sponsorship, they’ll be hoping for a big boost in public awareness.
Get the most up-to-date Olympic social media data
All of these graphs are live, so you’ll have the most up-to-date data available.
After a big story breaks, check to see whether it’s made an impact on social media. And unlike most news coverage, this page is bias-free. Just the numbers, displayed in easy-to-understand graphs.
We didn’t just do this for fun – we did it to show all that social data can do. It’s a powerful tool for all kinds of companies, whether you need to research new markets or watch the competitors entering their space.
Come back to the page each day to see the latest social media conversations and trends about these great games.
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