The Winter Olympics, currently taking place, has seen a notable lack of interest, primarily due to the absence of terrestrial TV broadcasts, which historically play a significant role in generating viewer engagement. Many individuals, like 35-year-old city worker Kim, only learned about the games through social media and YouTube Shorts after notable South Korean athletes secured medals in snowboarding, highlighting a disconnect between the actual event and public awareness. Comments on social media reveal that viewers were unaware of the Olympics' commencement and expressed frustration over the lack of terrestrial broadcasting, indicating a longing for more traditional coverage that could have spotlighted the athletes.

The decision by JTBC, a comprehensive programming channel, to stream the Olympics solely on its platform marks a significant shift from previous games, where multiple terrestrial channels would compete to provide coverage. This exclusivity has resulted in less widespread sharing of official content across social media, diminishing the event's visibility and engagement. While social media plays a considerable role in content distribution today, the reliance solely on YouTube for official Olympic videos has reduced the potential to attract a broader audience compared to past events.

The reasons behind this decline in traditional broadcast interest stem from the financial aspects of Olympic coverage, which have become less attractive to major networks. JTBC's unilateral coverage results from negotiations breaking down over broadcasting rights, a move away from the established practice of collaborative coverage among the three major terrestrial broadcasters. This situation marks the first time since the 1964 Tokyo Olympics that the games have not been featured on terrestrial television, reflecting a concerning trend that may impact future international sports broadcasting if network profitability continues to decline, thereby risking the public's access to significant global sporting events.