Olympians Compete in Beijing Amid Low TV Ratings, Criticism of Chinese Government

As U.S. athletes compete in the 2022 Beijing Olympics, they're also competing for attention with stories about China, political controversy and the U.S. response to the competition.

As of Wednesday, the U.S. is tied for fourth in total medals (7) and fifth in first-place finishes (1). While some media highlight the events, others focus on China's COVID-19 regulations around the Games; use of fake snow and potential pollution; mistreatment of Uighur Muslims; and the controversy around tennis star Peng Shuai, who disappeared after accusing a former Chinese official of sexual misconduct. Through the first four nights, NBC was reportedly on track for the lowest-rated Winter Games in history. Opening night’s coverage averaged 12.8 million viewers, down from the 27.8 million average at 2018's Winter Olympics.

Voices across the spectrum — especially on the right — were critical of China, but often with different focuses. Left-rated voices often highlighted controversy around Shuai and pollution; right-rated voices focused more on China's human rights violations. Some on the right painted the low TV ratings as proof of viewers' dissatisfaction with China; others framed low ratings as due to a wider combination of factors. Some focused on the performance of American stars such as skier Mikaela Shiffrin and skater Nathan Chen, and discussions about poor performance and athletes' mental health. Some right-rated outlets framed American-born athletes who are competing and winning medals for China, such as skier Eileen Gu, as having betrayed the U.S.; some left-rated voices criticized that framing as politicized and overly nationalistic.