This May 21, she will climb the steps and the red carpet of the Cannes Film Festival, like a movie star in front of a swarm of paparazzi. She is the Olympic flame and there is no doubt that these images will circulate everywhere. Because since May 8 – and until July 26 – the symbolic fire visits France. In addition to the spectators present on the route, there are those who watch this funny, historic parade on screens. And they are many.
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According to figures from France Télévisions that West France reveals, 1.2 million different spectators watched the digital channel “france.tv Paris 2024” between May 8 and 19 (at least ten seconds); and 17.9 million videos of the relay were seen on france.tv and on the group’s social networks. “We are very proud, very happy and also moved by this audience success because it shows that this Relay is a popular celebration, which brings people together”rejoices Laurent-Éric le Lay, the sports director of France Télévisions.
“It will set a precedent”
Up to eight hours a day, the digital (and free) channel of the audiovisual group offers this Relay. “This is the first time it has been broadcast in full and I am sure it will set a precedent for the next Games,” bet Laurent-Éric Le Lay.
This Torch Relay has a little Tour de France aspect, which, beyond the flame and its bearers, allows you to discover landscapes, including those where cyclists never go, such as lakes, cliffs or small cramped village streets. “We are reaching out to people in the territories with this symbol as strong as the flame,” complete Laurent-Éric Le Lay.
Four lightweight cameras
The technical device “is lightweight, environmentally friendly, and cost-responsible,” specifies the sports director who details: “We have four lightweight cameras, one facing the wearer, one on an electric scooter, an iPhone on a bus and a drone. » Added to this are the drivers and commentators “which say a few words about each wearer, whether a national star, a local personality or an unknown person”. This broadcast also allows loved ones of the 10,000 carriers to see their star “on TV”!
According to figures from Médiamétrie, 5.9 million viewers followed the arrival of the Olympic flame on Wednesday May 8 in Marseille: 3.34 million on France 2 compared to 2.59 million people on TF1
