Citing the FIFA World Cup as a more significant sporting event, 38 per cent of Japanese participants indicated that they were likely to follow the Beijing games less closely than they had the 2004 Olympics.
The online survey canvassed a total of 3,000 respondents aged 15 to 35 across the region. Just 20 per cent of people Japanese expressed a desire to watch live coverage of the event’s opening ceremony, compared with 84 per cent in Vietnam, 80 per cent in Malaysia, 77 per cent in Thailand and 75 per cent in India. The Japanese contingent was also alone in expressing no intention to watch events such as triathlon, rowing and cycling.
Noting a gradual downturn in interest in the Olympics among Japanese youth over the past eight to 10 years, MindShare’s regional managing partner Deepika Nikhilender commented that the drop had been very significant since 2004. She added that the event struggled to remain relevant to a young demographic so heavily focused on baseball, football and motor racing.
While most pronounced in Japan, Nikhilender noted that youth interest in the Olympics was declining across the board in Asia.
Japanese to shun Beijing Olympics
TOKYO - The Olympics is proving a turn-off in Japan, with interest in the Beijing Games markedly lower than elsewhere in Asia-Pacific, according to research conducted by MindShare's consulting division mConsult.
