NBC came into the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics with high hopes for great performances and good television ratings.

It got gold-medal results.

The Paris Olympics could not have gone better, exceeding expectations and laying a foundation for the possibility that the Olympics are, well, back. After sluggish TV ratings in the more recent Olympics, NBC saw a major bounceback in these Games, which concluded Sunday.

Official numbers will come out this week, but we already have a pretty good idea of how they’ll look.

For the first 13 days of the Games, for example, NBC and its various Olympic platforms averaged 32.2 million viewers. That’s a 76% jump from the Tokyo Games, which were held in 2021 after being delayed a year because of COVID-19.

On Saturday, the U.S. men’s basketball team, led by Steph Curry’s incredibly late-game shooting performance, beat host France in a thrilling gold-medal game that averaged 19.5 million viewers on NBC and Peacock.  That made it the most-watched gold medal game since the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. And it was about 7 million viewers more than the most-watched 2024 NBA Finals game on ABC.

Earlier on Saturday, approximately 9 million viewers on NBC and Peacock watched the U.S. women’s soccer team beat Brazil, 1-0, for the gold medal, marking the most-watched gold medal soccer game since the 2004 Athens Olympics.

So why did the Paris Games resonate with American viewers after trends showed Olympic viewership was decreasing and seemingly unlikely to rebound?

First, the host city was spectacular. Paris could not have done a better job highlighting the city, while also putting on a classy and organized show. The Games were also a hit in Paris — something that often is rare for a host city.

The Washington Post’s Rick Noack wrote, “Paris managed to awe visitors and viewers with spectacular venues, which showcased some of the city’s most familiar sites in breathtakingly unfamiliar ways. These Olympics welcomed spectators back for the first time since the pandemic, and the roar of the crowds witnessing athletic feats pumped new energy into the capital. Some Parisians who had left on vacation decided to return so they wouldn’t miss out.”

The Washington Post’s Barry Svrluga wrote, “The Olympics needed a reset. Paris provided it.”

The time difference between Paris and the U.S. (six hours in the Eastern time zone) made for perfect TV viewing. Those who were able to watch events live could do so during the day. For those who were working or couldn’t watch during the day, NBC’s prime-time coverage that gathered the best moments of the day and put them in neatly-timed packages was perfect.

NBC’s coverage, overall, was nearly flawless — from the commentators to the production and direction to the storytelling. Whether you are a diehard sports fan or a casual Olympic viewer, NBC delivered a product you wanted to watch.

But, of course, the biggest reason the Games were such a hit was the athletes. Many of the American stars came through with must-see performances. That included swimmers Katie Ledecky and Bobby Finke, the women’s and men’s gymnastics teams (most notably Simone Biles), the American track-and-field teams, the women’s soccer team, and both the men’s and women’s basketball teams.

In the end, the Games just had an upbeat feel to them.

During NBC’s coverage of the closing ceremony, commentator and former Olympic figure skater Tara Lipinski said, “We needed these Olympic Games. I haven’t felt this type of Olympic energy in so long. It was refreshing, it was accessible, the way that some of the venues were meshed together with some of the most iconic landmarks in the world was surreal. It is just a reminder of the power of the Olympic Games. We all came together. The feeling of joy and hope and camaraderie — just walking the streets of Paris or watching back home — the energy is palpable.”

The next Summer Olympics will be held in Los Angeles.

LA28 chairman Casey Wasserman told NBC Olympic host Mike Tirico what to expect from Los Angeles hosting the 2028 Olympics: “We are what we are. We are, in many ways, the cultural capital of the world. You’re going to see a lot of star power, a lot of excitement, a lot of energy, and a place that is truly diverse and brings the world together.”

And it could be a way for the Olympics to take the momentum of the 2024 Games and turn it up even higher. Former longtime NBC Olympic host Bob Costas said during NBC’s coverage on Sunday, “We come to Paris, a wonderful, historic setting. Every backdrop, arresting. And then from there, on to Milan-Cortina for the next Winter Games. It looked to me, and it’s turning out this way, like a chance for the Olympics to get its groove back. From an American perspective, you come to Los Angeles in ’28, this is the time — obviously viewing habits have changed, the way people feel about sports may have changed — but this is the time for the Olympics to get its groove back, and it’s turning out that way.”

A touching moment

Tears stream down the face of United States’ Brittney Griner during the national anthem after a women’s Olympic gold medal basketball game at Bercy Arena in Paris on Sunday. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

One of the more emotional scenes during these Olympics was seeing U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner crying while standing at the podium with her gold medal on Sunday. Griner, as you remember, spent 293 days imprisoned in Russia before a prisoner swap set her free in December 2022.

Griner said after the medal ceremony, “Just — just really happy, honestly. Really happy. My emotions are all over the place. I was on the podium, the flag was going up and, as soon as the anthem started, I got tears — tears coming down my face. It means so much to me, my family. I didn’t think I would be here, like I’ve said before. And to be here winning gold for my country, representing for my country …”

In a must-read column, The Washington Post’s Candace Buckner wrote, “She tried to explain her emotions, but she did not need to find the right words. Her tears said everything. She can represent her nation on the world’s stage. She can play for the most dominant basketball program in history. And when the U.S. women win as expected, she can celebrate by kissing her wife. She is free to be herself.”

Buckner recounted some of the things Griner has been through, not only in Russia, but here in the U.S., writing, “Griner can now be proud of a country that hasn’t always loved people like her back. When anyone from a marginalized group feels accepted, that they’re worth being loved and protected and fought for, that’s when the tears flow.”

One more thing …

Check out the BBC’s closing montage of its Olympic coverage. And have some tissues nearby.

Biden speaks

President Joe Biden, left, being interviewed by CBS News’ Robert Costa for “CBS Sunday Morning.” (Courtesy: CBS News)

President Joe Biden appeared on “CBS Sunday Morning” — his first sit-down interview since announcing he would not seek reelection in November.

In an interview with CBS News chief election and campaign correspondent Robert Costa, Biden went into further detail about his decision to step away, saying, “The polls we had showed that it was a neck-and-neck race, would have been down to the wire. But what happened was, a number of my Democratic colleagues in the House and Senate thought that I was gonna hurt them in the races. And I was concerned that if I stayed in the race, that would be the topic. … I thought it’d be a real distraction.”

He added, “Although it’s a great honor being president, I think I have an obligation to the country to do what (is) the most important thing you can do, and that is, we must, we must, we must defeat Trump.”

In the extensive interview, Biden talked about his family’s reaction to his decision, as well as if he was thinking of his late son, Beau. He also talked about Donald Trump, and said he is worried about what might happen if Trump loses the election.

Biden said, “I mean, if Trump loses, I’m not confident at all. He means what he says. We don’t take him seriously. He means it. All the stuff about, ‘If we lose, it’ll be a bloodbath …’”

Costa also asked Biden about skeptics who ask if Biden still has the energy to run the country and campaign for Kamala Harris.

Biden said, “All I can say is, ‘Watch.’ That’s all. Look, I had a really, really bad day in that debate because I was sick. But I have no serious problems. I was talking to (Pennsylvania) Gov. (Josh) Shapiro, who’s a friend. We have got to win Pennsylvania, my original home state. He and I are putting together a campaign tour in Pennsylvania. I’m going to be campaigning in other states as well. And I’m going to do whatever Kamala thinks I can do to help most.”

Speaking of Trump …

Trump gave an hourlong press conference last week, and NPR’s Domenico Montanaro wrote, “A team of NPR reporters and editors reviewed the transcript of his news conference and found at least 162 misstatements, exaggerations and outright lies in 64 minutes. That’s more than two a minute. It’s a stunning number for anyone — and even more problematic for a person running to lead the free world.”

Montanaro added, “Politicians spin. They fib. They misspeak. They make honest mistakes like the rest of us. And, yes, they even sometimes exaggerate their biographies. The expectation, though, is that they will treat the truth as something important and correct any errors. But what former President Trump did this past Thursday went well beyond the bounds of what most politicians would do.”

The article then goes on to list all of the 162 misstatements, exaggerations and outright lies.

A few good men

Longtime and respected journalist Katie Couric wrote a powerful guest essay for The New York Times: “Network Newscasts Need to Better Reflect America.”

Couric writes about how a woman has a chance to become the first president of the United States and how U.S. women dominated the Paris Olympics, as well as the work of Norah O’Donnell, who recently announced she would step down as anchor of the “CBS Evening News” — a position that Couric once held.

Couric writes, “So it was more than a little disappointing to read that Ms. O’Donnell would be replaced by two men, John Dickerson and Maurice DuBois. Don’t get me wrong: I know, like and respect these two journalists. But soon, on the big three networks, there will be four male anchors. Yes, the talented Margaret Brennan will be contributing stories from the Washington bureau for CBS, but the two people who will be greeting Americans watching the CBS evening newscast will be men.”

Couric also notes that the three people running the evening news on major networks are white men.

Couric adds, “‘CBS Evening News’ has been in third place for decades. While I couldn’t move the needle during my time as anchor, I had hoped to open minds. Diane Sawyer followed suit on ABC, and for a moment in time two out of the three anchors on major networks were women. Traditional broadcast news may be waning, but more than half of the viewing population should still demand more from the industry. Until then, once again, nightly network newscasts are the purview of a few good men.”

Remembering Susan Wojcicki

Susan Wojcicki, one of the first-ever hires at Google who later went on to become CEO of YouTube, has died from lung cancer, according to her family. She was 56.

Wojcicki joined Google in 1999 as, according to reports, its 16th employee.

The Wall Street Journal’s Miles Kruppa wrote, “Wojcicki played a central role in developing the technology systems that distribute advertising dollars around the internet. After joining Google as one of its earliest employees, she led development of its AdSense product, a software widget that allowed the company to broker ads for millions of independent websites and became an important tool for the tech giant. Later, as YouTube CEO, Wojcicki oversaw the maturation of the site’s business model into an operation generating billions of dollars of revenue for video creators and Google’s parent company, Alphabet, while cracking down on controversial content that threatened to sully its public image.”

Wojcicki stepped down as YouTube’s CEO in 2023 to spend more time with her family and to work on other projects. She remained an adviser for Alphabet.

The Washington Post’s Adam Lashinsky wrote that Wojcicki’s death marks the end of an era for Google and Silicon Valley, adding, “It cuts tragically short the life of a Silicon Valley leader who was a role model throughout her industry and a link to her powerful company’s earliest and humbler days. She was the rare tech-industry executive, even rarer as a woman in a male-dominated industry, who was universally liked. She was valued for her ability to communicate up and down the management ranks at Google, from its sometimes prickly founders to its employees, as well as with Google’s many and often contentious partners.”

Media tidbits

• Trump running mate JD Vance appeared on several networks on Sunday. On ABC News’ “This Week,” he had a contentious interview with moderator Jonathan Karl, who called Vance out on a claim Trump made about Democratic VP nominee Tim Walz. At one point, Karl said, “It’s not even remotely true” and added, “That’s crazy, come on!” Mediaite’s Joe DePaolo has the story (with video).
• The New York Times’ Matt Flegenheimer with “Bari Weiss Knows Exactly What She’s Doing.”
• USA Today’s Brendan Morrow with “‘Catfish’ host Nev Schulman breaks neck in bike accident: ‘I’m lucky to be here.’”

Hot type

• The New York Times’ Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan with “Inside the Worst Three Weeks of Donald Trump’s 2024 Campaign.”
• And to close out this Olympic-themed newsletter, a really fun piece on The Ringer from Helena Hunt: “Ranking Every Summer Olympic Sport Based on How Terrible It Would Be for the Average Person.”

More resources for journalists

• Lead With Influence is for leaders who manage big responsibilities but have no direct reports.
• Dynamic, in-person, five-day workshop for new newsroom managers.
• Try our free Grant Writing for Journalists self-directed course.

Have feedback or a tip? Email Poynter senior media writer Tom Jones at tjones@poynter.org.

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