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The Olympics might add eSport events to draw millennial viewers

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Forty percent of millennials prefer watching eSports to traditional sports, so the International Olympic Committee is considering adding competitive video gaming as a medal event for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Published   |  Photo by Image: AP
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The IOC is looking to attract millennials viewers following a 30% ratings drop among 18- to 34-year-olds for the 2016 Rio Games compared with four years earlier.

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In June, the Committee announced it would include 3-on-3 basketball and freestyle BMX as medal events at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in a similar bid to woo younger audiences.

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Competitive video gaming is gaining legitimacy—eSports will be a medal event at the 2022 Asian Games, the world’s second largest multi-sport competition after the Olympics.

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The IOC will start drafting the program for the 2024 games in 2019, with the final decision for new medal events to happen some time after the 2020 games in Tokyo have concluded.

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The inclusion of eSports events will also increase the value of Olympic programming, allowing the IOC to charge more for Olympic rights and TV networks to charge more for ad space.

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