The Olympic Flame Will Be Lit, And U.S. Radio Ready To Deliver.

The Paris Summer Olympics begin today, with what is sure to be a memorable opening ceremony. With a vast array of listening options at hand, a new survey from YouGov sheds some light on which sports Americans most care about.

A new survey from YouGov finds that 38% of people in the U.S. say they have lots of interest in the games. That’s below the 53% global average, but interest varies slightly by age, however. People aged 65+ are the most excited, with 41% jazzed about the Olympics.

Gender matters too, as 41% of American men say they are interested, compared to 35% of women in the U.S. YouGov says higher income groups are more interested in the Summer Olympics than lower income groups. Its survey shows 50% of Americans who earn double the average U.S. income are interested in the Paris games.

The survey finds Americans are most interested in swimming (45%), followed by gymnastics (29%), diving (25%), basketball (22%), and beach volleyball (20%). But YouGov says for Americans under 35, soccer and boxing are more likely to be on the must-watch list.

When asked how they plan to follow the Summer Olympics, 62% of U.S. followers say they will be watching it on TV, another 32% will rely on streaming. Unsurprisingly, older demos will rely on TV, while younger demos will be more streaming-focused.

YouGov did not ask about audio consumption, but those young streaming-centric fans will have that as an option. The Olympic Games Paris 2024 will be broadcast across the iHeartRadio streaming platform.

The partnership will have iHeart providing 24/7 play-by-play audio channels of select NBCU linear coverage of the Olympic Games. The iHeartRadio broadcasts will focus on Team USA, which has led the medal count at seven consecutive Summer Games. NBCU’s coverage on iHeartRadio is expected to include Team USA men’s and women’s basketball, soccer, and volleyball, along with swimming, gymnastics, track and field, and more.

In terms of advertising, Coca-Cola is the most recognized Summer Olympics Games sponsor according to YouGov, while Visa (55%), Samsung (50%), Toyota (46%) and Airbnb (30%) fill out the global top five.

The Paris Olympics come with some familiar advice from attorneys. Similar to how stations approach big U.S. sporting events like the Super Bowl or March Madness, the stations should proceed with caution outside of newscasts. That includes the use of the word “Olympic” in advertising or promotional activities.

Attorney Mitchell Stabbe says media outlets could also be liable for airing third-party advertising that infringe on Olympic trademarks. “Vet your advertising to make sure that, if a mark is used, the user has the rights to do so,” he writes in a blog post.