Social Media Killed the Olympic Bid

Oh-a-oh
You were the first one
Oh-a-oh
You were the last one

Video killed the radio star
Video killed the radio star

Video has long since killed the radio star.  But that classic song by The Buggles can easily be adapted to social media's impact on Olympic bids over the last two winter bidding cycles.  Calgary made official today what was determined last week--they're withdrawing their 2026 Winter Olympic bid after failing a public referendum.  Yet another Olympic bid that died because it lacked public support.

So, in Calgary's honor, I'm going to amend the lyrics:

Oh-a-oh
You're not the first one
Oh-a-oh
You're not the last one

Social media killed the Olympic bid
Social media killed the Olympic bid

Now, withdrawing the bid was probably a blessing in disguise for Calgary.  The IOC hasn't exactly been subtle about its preference for a European host in 2026.  Just like they wouldn't be opposed to an American host in 2030.  Both of which were working against Calgary.  Plus, Canada is co-hosting the 2026 World Cup, which will require some money.  So, they basically folded a losing hand before becoming pot committed.

Make no mistake, though, Calgary's organizers were content to stay in the pot and play that losing hand until the opposition became too vocal to ignore.  So, just like so many other Olympic bids in recent memory, it went ahead to the public vote that was bound to fail.  I don't even remember the last time a proposed Olympic bid survived past a public vote, and even the IOC acknowledged that result was inevitable.

Why was that result inevitable?  For the same reason it was inevitable in Boston.  And Oslo.  And Switzerland.  And Austria.  Because, thanks to social media, the opponents of Olympic bids have a platform to push their anti-Olympic agenda and drum up their own support.  The reasons why they're so opposed to these Olympic bids aren't even really that relevant.  The point is it's a lot easier for an opposition group to become an opposition movement in this day and age.  And that seems unlikely to change anytime soon.

Local opposition to Olympic bids is nothing new.  Denver was awarded the 1976 Winter Games in 1970, only to give them back to the IOC in 1972 when the Colorado State Legislature refused to fund them (Denver 1976 had a lot more problems than that, BTW).  While that's the only example of a city deciding after the fact that it didn't want the Olympics, there's always that group of unhappy residents who don't like the idea of the Olympics in their town. 

You'll never get 100 percent of voters in any city to agree on anything, and hosting the Olympics is no exception.  Some might love the idea and be happy about the economic growth it'll spark.  While the other side will look at the cost and ask whether or not it's worth it.  And the politicians are usually stuck in the middle.  Because they ultimately serve their constituents, so they have to do what the voters want or risk not being reelected.  Which usually means deciding to drop an Olympic bid that they might personally support.

The biggest difference between now and then, though, is social media.  Social media gives these opposition groups a platform.  Even if they start out as a minority, they're a vocal one.  And their mission is to get enough people against the idea of hosting an Olympics that the government has no choice but to put it to a vote (and we all know how those votes go).  The reasons, I'll reiterate, don't matter.  The point is social media gives these groups a chance to make their point, gather support and, ultimately, achieve their goal of seeing the Olympics take place somewhere else.

This isn't going to change, so the IOC and any potential bid cities need to get their message across, too.  People don't care about the long-term benefits or the infrastructure improvements that the Olympics can bring.  They often only see the price tag (although the $51 billion from Sochi is an incredibly deceiving number).  And they'd rather see their taxes go to something other than a two-week party seven years away (which is completely understandable).  Meanwhile, the politicians know the Olympics can be the impetus for needed public works projects, but how hard can they push it when they might not even still be in office once those Olympics come around?

Which means it's on the organizers.  The opposition groups are successful because they work on fear.  They make people think about all the negative things associated with hosting the Olympics.  So the organizers need to find a way to convince people that the Olympics are worthwhile.  Look at what happened in Salt Lake City, the perfect Winter Games!  Or, Exhibits A and B of the Olympics' lasting benefit to the host city--Barcelona and Sydney.

Even with all this in mind (and all the issues the IOC has faced over the past five-or-so years), there are still plenty of cities willing to host the Olympics.  Countries are lining up to get in on the 2032 Summer Games.  And you can pretty much guarantee that opposition groups will pop up in those cities shortly after the bids are officially announced (if they haven't been already).

Things just become magnified when it comes to the Winter Olympics, which are limited in where they can be held to begin with.  So, it makes the IOC look like it's in crisis mode.  Four cities withdrew from the 2022 bidding, leaving just two for the final vote.  Ditto for 2024.  Just Paris and LA, which led to the historic dual-awarding.  Now there's only two left in a 2026 race that started with five, both of which are facing problems of their own.

Rest assured, however, that the Winter Olympics aren't going anywhere.  The 2026 edition will take place.  And it'll be in either Milan or Stockholm.  They won't lose both remaining candidates and have to make an emergency call to another city like they did with Innsbruck 50 years earlier.

Then, with no host city election until 2023 after they decide between Milan and Stockholm, they'll have four years to get it right.  They'll have four years to change their approach and find a way to get a different message across.  Hosting the Olympics doesn't have to be a bad thing.  Not if you do it right.  And it doesn't have to cost a fortune, either (which Calgary wouldn't have).

We've entered a new normal.  It's gonna be like pulling teeth for the IOC to find willing and capable Olympic hosts (especially Winter Olympic hosts) in the age of anti-Olympic social media campaigns.  Campaigns that are all negative until the Games themselves actually start.  Then the Olympic Spirit takes over.  Just like it always does.