| | Associated Press
LAUSANNE, Switzerland -- The Sydney Olympics are expected to
break a record by reaching about 3.7 billion viewers.
Projections by the International Olympic Committee say
enthusiasm is highest in Japan, with 88 percent of people
questioned saying they are "very" or "somewhat" interested in
watching the Olympics on television, an IOC-commissioned poll
found.
The survey, released Thursday, said 81 percent of those
questioned in South Korea professed interest, followed by 80
percent in Ireland, Finland and Lithuania, and 79 percent in China
and Greece. In Australia, the figure is 78 percent, and it's 72
percent in the United States.
IOC marketing director Michael Payne described the figures as
"phenomenal," and they are expected to rise as the Games' Sept.
15 start nears.
With an interest rating of just 41 percent, Portugal ranked last
in the survey, conducted by the public opinion research firm
Ipsos-Reid. No African or Middle Eastern nations were represented
in the poll of 39 countries, and no margin of error was given.
The sale of broadcast rights for the Sydney Games is due to earn
the Olympic movement $1.3 billion, including $705 million paid by
NBC for rights in the United States.
The Atlanta Games reached an estimated 3 billion people. The IOC
said its projection for an increase was due to a rise in the number
of people with access to television and in the number of
broadcasters covering the event.
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