Go to main content

CBC/Radio-Canada’s coverage of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 reaches record numbers on digital

More Canadians watched live and on-demand coverage on more platforms than ever before.

From the Opening Ceremony on July 23 to the Closing Ceremony on August 8, Canadians tuned into the Games of the XXXII Olympiad Tokyo 2020 in record-breaking numbers.

With almost 44 million video views1 across all of CBC/Radio-Canada’s digital platforms, Tokyo 2020 saw a clear spike in streaming live and on-demand coverage. Viewers across the country turned in droves to our video streaming services, CBC Gem and ICI TOU.TV; our websites, CBC.ca/tokyo2020 and Radio-Canada.ca/tokyo2020; and the CBC Olympics and Jeux Olympiques de Radio-Canada apps.


“After the spectacular performance of Canada’s athletes in an extraordinary Olympics, CBC/Radio-Canada is delighted to have served Canadians with record-breaking coverage across all of its digital platforms. What this Olympics has demonstrated is that the public broadcaster’s investment in the digital transformation of its services has paid off and truly responds to Canadians’ new viewing habits. Bringing together Canadians to celebrate our nation’s best at Tokyo 2020 during an unprecedented year of challenges has been a point of pride for all the teams involved at CBC/Radio-Canada.”

—Catherine Tait, President and CEO, CBC/Radio-Canada

“Tokyo 2020 was an Olympics like no other. We really didn’t know what to expect, given the ongoing pandemic, and the restrictions and challenges it presented. We couldn’t be happier to see how great Canadians’ appetite was to watch these Games and share in these historic moments. I can’t thank our crews — both in Tokyo and here at home — enough. Well done!”

—François Messier, CBC/Radio-Canada’s Chef de Mission, Tokyo 2020


On television, 28 million Canadians2 (more than 74% of the population) watched coverage of the Games on CBC Television, ICI TÉLÉ and broadcast partners TSN, RDS and Sportsnet.

More details on CBC/Radio-Canada’s Olympic audiences are available here:

Read CBC's press release
Read Radio-Canada's press release (in French only)

Tokyo 2020 marked CBC/Radio-Canada’s 22nd Olympic Games as Canada’s official broadcaster and featured approximately 11,000 athletes from 206 countries competing in a record 33 sports and 339 medal events.

And the celebration continues. CBC/Radio-Canada’s coverage of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games begins on August 24.

1Source: Adobe Analytics, CBC and Radio-Canada Tokyo 2020 Olympic content, July 20–August 8, 2021.

2Source: Numeris TV PPM, July 20 to August 8, 2021, Total Canada, 2:00–26:00, 2+, Includes CBC, CBC News Network, Sportsnet National, Sportsnet One, TSN, TSN 2, TLN, SRC Total, RDS, RDS 2, RDS Info. Note: Data is not yet confirmed for the week of July 26–August 8, 2021.

About CBC/Radio-Canada
CBC/Radio-Canada is Canada’s national public broadcaster. Through our mandate to inform, enlighten and entertain, we play a central role in strengthening Canadian culture. As Canada’s trusted news source, we offer a uniquely Canadian perspective on news, current affairs and world affairs. Our distinctively homegrown entertainment programming draws audiences from across the country. Deeply rooted in communities, CBC/Radio-Canada offers diverse content in English, French and eight Indigenous languages. We also deliver content in Spanish, Arabic Chinese, Punjabi and Tagalog, as well as both official languages, through Radio Canada International (RCI). We are leading the transformation to meet the needs of Canadians in a digital world.

Media Contacts:

CBC
Joanna Landsberg
[email protected]
cell. 647 628-4788

Radio-Canada
Marc Pichette
[email protected]
cell. 514 712-4342

Discover

May 5th at 13:00

CEBL and CBC Sports Unveil Broadcast Team for 2026 Season

Today, the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) in partnership with CBC Sports, unveiled an energetic and experienced broadcast team that blends veteran voices, former players and emerging talent from across Canada. This group will deliver compelling, courtside and studio coverage to audiences nationwide on CBC and CBC Gem beginning Saturday, May 9 at 3:30 p.m. ET (1:30 p.m. MT) in Edmonton as the Stingers host the Winnipeg Sea Bears to open the league’s eighth season.
April 23rd at 13:00

CEBL and CBC Sports release 2026 Season Broadcast and Streaming Schedule

Beginning May 9, CBC Sports will live stream every game of the 2026 CEBL season on the free CBC Gem streaming service, cbcsports.ca and CBC Sports YouTube channel. Additionally, six regular season matchups, the Conference Finals and the best-of-three CEBL Finals will be broadcast nationally on CBC TV.  
April 1st at 9:45

Rock League Ready to Hit the Ice in Toronto April 6–12, Marking a New Era of Professional Curling

The one-week countdown is on for the start of Rock League, as curling’s first professional league prepares to take the ice at TMU Mattamy Athletic Centre in Toronto, April 6-12. Fans in Canada and beyond will be able to catch every slide, sweep, and stone with comprehensive coverage worldwide, starting with the first games on Monday, April 6 at 12 Noon ET on CBC Gem and RockChannel.com
March 26th at 12:15

Northern Super League Unveils Expanded Broadcast and Streaming for Landmark Second Season

The Northern Super League (NSL) today unveiled an expanded lineup for fans to watch all the NSL action ahead of its landmark second season, beginning with a marquee opening night on April 24 that brings the league’s biggest rivalry back to centre stage.
March 17th at 10:00

Digital streaming of the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games more than triples compared to Beijing 2022

Audiences in Canada consumed 1.63 million streams of Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games content on CBC/Radio-Canada’s digital platforms from March 6 to 15, more than triple the number of streams during Beijing 2022 (526,000).