Corporate sponsors quiet as Beijing Olympics get underway

Feb 7, 2022
U.S. officials are boycotting the Games over accusations of human rights abuses in China, and companies have been pressured to pull out or speak up.
Fireworks form the Olympic rings over Beijing's National Stadium on Friday. Human rights advocates have pressured advertisers to cancel sponsorships because of accusations of abuses.
Li Xin - Pool/Getty Images

Beijing Olympics will not bring windfall

Feb 4, 2022
The winter games will be a net loss for China — at least economically.
COVID-19 means Chinas is missing out on hundreds of millions of dollars from ticket sales. Above, medical staff wear personal protective clothing work at an Olympic Stadium on Feb. 3.
Carl Court/Getty Images

Good luck watching the Winter Games in 4K

Want to see the Olympics in ultra high definition? You'll need to clear some technical hurdles, but the "sparkles are unreal," an Ars Technica reporter says.
Figure skating really shines with all the benefits of 4K, says Sam Machkovech, a writer for Ars Technica. Above, USA's Adam Rippon competes in the men's free skate event during the Pyeongchang Olympics on Feb. 17.
ROBERTO SCHMIDT/AFP/Getty Images

The darkest building on the planet is at the Olympics

The structure in Pyeongchang is painted with what its maker says is the darkest man-made substance, a material that absorbs 99 percent of light.
The Hyundai Pavilion at the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics in South Korea, designed by Asif Khan, is coated with Vantablack VBx2.
Luke Hayes

Can the Olympics be protected from cyberattacks?

Jan 12, 2018
As athletes gear up for the Olympics, hackers are working hard, too.

Beijing to host the 2022 Winter Olympics

Jul 31, 2015
The country's economy is in a different place this time around.

Examining the return on big-ticket civic investments

Jan 8, 2015
As four U.S. cities vie to host the 2024 Summer Games, we analyze what civic events make money.

For public good, not for profit.

Sochi Olympics isn't a guaranteed winner for sponsors

Feb 5, 2014
If you attend the Sochi Olympics, you’ll see a big presence by U.S. corporate sponsors. But here in the U.S., the companies are being pressured to renounce Russia's anti-gay policies.

Will NBC be hurt by Lindsey Vonn's injury?

Jan 7, 2014
Much of the value in the Olympics comes when the winners show up on the Today show the next morning and drive ratings.