Most Popular Winter Olympic Sports in 2022
and the differences between men and women
The popularity of sports varies around the world, and the same goes for the sports of the Winter Olympics. The team at YouGov surveyed thousands of people in the USA and the UK in 2022, just prior to the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, and determined which of the Winter Olympics sports they were most interested in. Not surprisingly, there were differences between respondents from the US and UK, as well as some significant differences between men and women. Previous analyses have shown many different sports being listed as the most popular.
Most Popular Winter Olympics Sports
Here are the Winter Olympic sports ranked by popularity, using the data of all respondents (male and female combined). Comparing the USA and the UK, there are some significant differences. Figure skating, the most popular in the USA, is only third in the UK. The sports of speed skating and ice hockey are more popular in the US, while curling and skeleton are more popular in the UK. Many other regional differences would be expected around the world. In 2022, Australia has qualified a curling team, so for the Aussies there would be unprecedented interest in watching this sport.
| rank | USA | UK |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Figure Skating | Ski Jumping |
| 2 | Ski Jumping | Bobsleigh |
| 3 | Speed Skating | Figure Skating |
| 4 | Bobsleigh | Alpine Skiing |
| 5 | Alpine Skiing | Curling |
| 6 | Snowboarding | Skeleton |
| 7 | Ice Hockey | Snowboard |
| 8 | Luge | Luge |
| 9 | Freestyle Skiing | Speed Skating |
| 10 | Curling | Freestyle Skiing |
| 11 | Cross-Country Skiing | Ice Hockey |
| 12 | Short Track | Cross-Country Skiing |
| 13 | Skeleton | Biathlon |
| 14 | Biathlon | Short Track |
| 15 | Nordic Combined | Nordic Combined |
Differences between men and women
Of all the Winter Olympic sports, figure skating has the greatest differences in popularity between men and women. For example, in the US 29% of men versus 53% of women enjoy figure skating, and similarly in the UK, 10% of men versus 36% of women enjoy figure skating. Other sports were much more closely aligned. A study by eXelate also found that figure skating was the most popular sport, and that it also attracted the greatest percentage of female readers of internet news.
Another Winter Olympic sport that is more popular with one gender than the other is ice hockey, though this time more men than women are interested in the sport.
source: The most-followed Winter Olympic sports, by men and women (yougov.com)
Related Pages
- Discussion about the Most Popular Winter Olympic Sports
- POLLS: your favorite winter Olympics sport and worst winter Olympic sport
- The most popular USA Winter Olympic Sports from 2010
- List of Winter Olympic Games Sports
- Discussion about the most popular Olympic sports
- other top 10 lists of the world's most popular sports
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