Copyright© 2018 Ipsos. All rights reserved.1

The World Will be Watching, But What Are They Thinking? We Ask Americans About the 2018 Winter Olympics.

Throughout the years, the Olympic Games have become as much a spectacle for its pageantry as a show of global peace and sportsmanship. The 2018 Winter Olympics start February 8th in South Korea, and our recent Ipsos Omnibus survey found out what Americans think about this world wide event.

The last time the United States hosted the Winter Olympics was 16 years ago in Salt Lake City. Regardless of where it’s held, the Winter Olympics provide excitement and enter-tainment for the 70% of Americans who plan on watching the 2018 games. When asked in December, about half (52%) of Americans knew the 2018 Winter Olympics would be taking place in South Korea, while a third (34%) didn’t have any idea where they were being held. In fact, we found out more Americans (63%) were aware Russia had been banned from participating in this year’s Olympics than knew where the games were being held.

The 2018 Winter Olympics will be held in PyeongChang, which is a popular ski destination located 700 meters (2,296 feet) above sea level. This elevation, said to be the optimal altitude for well-being, inspires the city’s slogan, “Happy 700.” Between the estimated $5,000 it would take to attend the Olympics in PyeongChang for a week, and the current military tensions, it’s safe to assume most Americans will probably get cozy and watch the events and ceremonies on television.

The XXlll Winter Olympics are expected to cost South Korea about $13 billion and they hope to sell all one million tickets offered throughout the 17 days of events. The opening and closing ceremonies are usually among the most popular for attendance—and this year ticket holders will have to be hardy souls. PyeongChang has built an open-air $58 million stadium for the ceremonies that start and end the chilly winter games. Concerns about the expected cold weather and biting winds have led organizers to plan on giving each audience member a blanket and hot pack as they enter the stadium to prevent hypothermia.

While viewers at home may escape the chill, they will have their fair share of thrills. The Winter Olympics continue to include more extreme style sports. Twenty years ago, snowboarding first appeared in the 1998 Olympics, and this year there will be a total of 11 snowboarding events, several of which Americans are favored to medal in. Most (65%) Americans agree they find the Winter Olympics more enjoyable and exciting now that sports events like freestyle skiing and snowboarding have been added. When asked which athletes require the higher skill level, winter or summer Olympians, winter (61%) clearly won. You must admit, watching the athletes as they prepare to take off from a gigantic slope or jump is frightening, or at least considered exhilarating!

Many Americans have participated in or observed swimming, baseball, volleyball and other summer Olympic sports first-hand. But even if we have glided (or made it) down a slope, few have witnessed some of the wild spectacles we’ll soon be watching as snowboarders, skiers and ice-skaters flip through the air or fly off ramps. It’s not too surprising we look at some winter Olympic athletes with amazement or shake our head at their risk-taking.

Are there other sports Americans would like to see added to the Winter Olympics? When given a selec-tion, dog sledding (24%) or snowmobiling (15%) had the only measurable interest and 37% said none.

We also discovered Americans aren’t too concerned that NHL players are no longer eligible to participate in the Olympics. Only 13% say they will be less inter-ested in watching hockey, while 77% say it doesn’t make any difference to their interest in watching the hockey events this year.

Given the complicated situation in northeast Asia, and the fact PyeongChang is located 50 miles south of a militarized border, it is somewhat surprising Americans were strongly in favor (86%) of the U.S. participating in the 2018 Winter Olympics. Especially when eight out of ten (79%) are concerned about a possible terrorist attack during these winter games, and only 6% said they are not concerned at all an attack will take place.

Let’s all hope the 2018 Olympic Games will play out as intended, as “an international athletic competition that promotes building a peaceful and better world by educating youth through sport practiced without discrimination of any kind and in the Olympic spirit, which requires mutual understanding with a spirit of friendship, solidarity and fair play.”

Let the games begin!

Each week Ipsos U.S. eNation omnibus completes five national surveys. Ipsos Omnibus offers a variety of services, including overnight or custom studies. To collect complimentary access to this 2018 Winter Olympics study or to learn more about eNation omnibus, please contact:

Paul Abbate Senior Vice President U.S. Ipsos Public Affairs 617.959.9548 paul.abbate@ipsos.com

Chris Deeney Senior Vice President U.S. Ipsos Public Affairs 312.526.4088 chris.deeney@ipsos.com

To learn more, visit: www.ipsos.com

Copyright© 2018 Ipsos. All rights reserved. 2 1 8 - 0 1 - 0 1

The Wor ld W i l l be Watch ing, But What Are They Th ink ing? We Ask Amer icans About the 2018 W inter Olympics.