Analyzing Buzz for the Paralympics in three key markets

With the Paralympic Games concluded in Paris following on the trail of the Summer Olympics, we look at the level of Buzz the event generated in a selection of markets, and how it stacked up against the Olympics.

Australia is an interesting case, with its Paralympics Buzz steadily climbing from 17.6 on July 26 to 33.9 by September 9. This is significant because the because the peak for the Paralympic Games matches that of the Summer Olympics, which topped off at 33.4.

But it should be noted that it is likely that Aussies are more likely to associate just the term “Olympics” with the summer event as Buzz for the Olympics in Australia had peaked at an impressive 47.9 on August 18 – this is not represented in the chart as this article exclusively looks at the performance of the Paralympic Games against the Summer Olympics as a yardstick. Australia finished ninth on the Paralympics medal tally.

Here's YouGov's article examining Buzz for the Olympics in eight different markets, including the three listed in this piece.

France, the host of both events, shows a sharp upward trend in Paralympics Buzz, albeit at a more gradual rate compared to the Olympics. Starting at 23.8, the Paralympics Buzz reached 46.5 by September 9. This mirrors the Olympics Buzz surge, albeit at slightly lower levels, reflecting sustained national interest in both events. The home team, which finished fifth in the Summer Olympics table, stood eighth in the Paralympics standings.

Probably as a result of being primed by the Summer Olympics, whose Buzz peaked at 59.4, the Paralympic Games had a Buzz of 33.8 on the opening day of the event, higher than that of the Summer Olympics, which started at 20.4. By the final day of the event, Olympics Buzz had risen sharply to 54.5, while Buzz for the Paralympics stood at 46.5 at the conclusion of the event.

In Germany, Buzz for the Summer Olympics stood at 21.6 on the final day of the event before peaking at 25.9 on August 25, while Buzz for the Paralympics on the final day was 19.9. The rise in Buzz for the Paralympics was much sharper, given that it began off a relatively low base of 9.9 on August 28 – the opening day. The Summer Olympics had started at 12.1 points. Germany bagged 10 golds amid 49 other medals in the Paralympic Games, finishing in the 11th position.

What’s notable across these markets is that while the Paralympics may not match the sheer volume of conversation generated by the Summer Olympics, the steady increases in Buzz across the board demonstrate growing awareness and interest in the Games.