Olympics Ratings Were Way Down. Is That Because the U.S. Is Too Good at Winning? – Slate Magazine

Every TV show needs its stars, and NBC has done a great job making stars of athletes like Biles and Ledecky and Phelps and, yes, Ryan Lochte. NBC, though, isn’t nearly as good at crafting compelling narratives around sports that take place neither in the water nor on a track. And, come to think of it, NBC isn’t even that great at creating compelling narratives in track and field. Allyson Felix is a great runner and has an incredibly winning personality, and yet the American public hasn’t really responded to her story. Perhaps track and field is simply diminishing in popularity. If so, then NBC really might be in trouble in 2020, especially considering Usain Bolt will almost certainly be retired by then.