IOC: Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics watched by over 2 billion people

This photo taken on Feb. 20, 2022 shows the closing ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games at the National Stadium. (Xinhua/Xu Zijian)

Over two billion people around the world watched the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics across linear TV and digital platforms, according to the International Olympic Committee.

BEIJING, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) -- The Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games reached a global broadcast audience of more than two billion people, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced on Thursday.

According to independent research conducted on behalf of the IOC, Beijing 2022 has become the most digitally engaged Olympic Winter Games in history, with 2.01 billion viewers - up 5 percent from PyeongChang 2018 - watching the Games through linear TV and digital platforms.

Viewers watched a total of 713 billion minutes of Games coverage through Olympic media rights partners' channels, and Olympic social media also achieved 3.2 billion engagements and attracted more than 11 million new followers across various platforms.

Fireworks illuminate the night sky during the closing ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games. (Xinhua/Zhang Yuwei)

Almost half of the viewers surveyed said they want to watch more Olympic Games coverage in the future, and 57 percent of respondents aged 13 to 19 said they wanted to watch more Olympic Games coverage in the coming years.

"Beijing 2022 was the most digitally engaged Olympic Winter Games in history. In close cooperation with our Media Rights Partners around the world, more coverage was made available than ever before, including a record amount via digital platforms," said IOC President Thomas Bach.

"With a global audience of over two billion, the Olympic Winter Games continue to be one of the most watched sports events in the world," he added.