Overview

Despite many predictions that the 2000 Summer Olympics would be the “Internet Games,” the Internet ended up playing a tiny role for most people. Because of heavy restrictions on what could be placed online (for instance, no live streaming video), most people turned to the television as their primary source of information about the Games. For most Americans, the Internet played a supplemental role, primarily as an after-the-fact source of information on results. Most users ignored the wealth of extra information on participants and the competitions that could be found online, as they were primarily satisfied to get results. Most users thought that television covered the Games better, by a 2 to 1 margin, than the Internet did.