The Olympic Winter Games in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo kicked off with an opening ceremony that attracted around 5 million viewers on television. However, this figure shows a significant decline compared to the viewership of the opening ceremony of the Summer Games in Paris, which was notably more successful. From February 6 to 22, approximately 2,900 athletes from 90 nations will compete in 116 events for medals, with ongoing updates being provided by Die Welt's live ticker.

During the live broadcast, the public broadcaster ARD faced challenges with sound quality, making it difficult for viewers to understand the commentators Tom Bartels and Giovanni di Lorenzo at times. Bartels offered an apology during the ceremony itself, and the next day ARD released an explanation regarding the sound issues. They attributed the problem to the volume levels during the show, indicating a struggle with the audio setup during the high-profile event.

The opening of the Winter Games continues to be a topic of interest, with Die Welt keeping the audience informed through live updates. The relatively low viewership numbers compared to the previous Olympic ceremonies raise questions about audience engagement and the production quality affecting the viewer experience. With less public interest, the implications for future broadcasts and sponsorship deals could be significant, as any decline in viewership can potentially impact funding for international events like the Olympics.