CBC/Radio-Canada earns Olympic Golden Rings bronze for Best Olympic Digital Service
Public broadcaster had record-high digital audiences during Summer Games in Tokyo
Make it 25 medal performances for Canada at the Tokyo Olympics this past summer — 24 by athletes and another from its national public broadcaster.
The International Olympic Committee on Monday announced CBC/Radio-Canada as a bronze recipient of the prestigious Olympic Golden Rings award for Best Olympic Digital Service. NBC Universal (NBC Sports) and Brazil's TV Globo won gold and silver, respectively.
"The Tokyo Olympics were a success for CBC/Radio-Canada across all of our platforms," said Chris Wilson, who oversaw his first Olympics at the network as executive director. "Our entire team worked really hard to deliver a great overall digital experience which Canadians consumed in record numbers.
"Being recognized amongst the best media companies in the world is a credit to our product and content teams."
CBC had record-high digital audiences and was the most-watched TV network in Canada throughout the Tokyo Olympics.
Canadians streamed more than 37 million video views on CBC.ca, CBC Gem, and the CBC Olympics App. Those platforms were also up 62 per cent compared to PyeongChang 2018. Live views made up 61 per cent of all video views, while Canadians consumed nearly 17 million hours of digital Olympic content on CBC digital platforms.
'Audiences always felt connected to the Games'
On the television side, 28 million viewers — three in four Canadians — tuned in for Tokyo 2020 coverage on CBC/Radio-Canada, and CBC ranked as the most-watched network in Canada for 17 consecutive days among all audiences.
Steve Macht, senior manager of digital at CBC Sports, noted the team across CBC and Radio-Canada made sure "our audiences could engage with the content they wanted, how and when they wanted it, and always feel like they were more connected to the Games, Canada's athletes and other fans after having visited our digital spaces."
WATCH | All of Canada's 24 medals in 4 minutes:
Thomas Bach, IOC president, said this year marked the most Olympic Golden Rings submissions, with awards presented across 12 categories.
"Our close partnership with our broadcasters is a great reflection that we can only go faster, we can only aim higher, we can only become stronger, if we work together — in solidarity," he added.
The awards ceremony took place in the IOC's headquarters, Olympic House, in Lausanne, Switzerland, where the organization is hosting a series of commission meetings.
"We are looking forward to inviting Canadians to enjoy the Winter Olympics [in February] through our digital platforms," Macht said.
WATCH | Tokyo Olympic montage:
