FOX 25 Scores with Olympics Debate

Nearly 78,000 viewers watched an unprecedented debate co-sponsored by The Boston Globe and FOX25 News that focused on whether to bring the Olympics to Boston in 2024, according to Nielsen.  In addition, “The Boston Olympics Debate”, which aired Monday at 8 p.m. and re-aired at 11:30 p.m., had more combined Adult 25-54 viewers than all but three programs on any broadcast network the entire day.  Thousands more watched the debate stream live on myfoxboston.com, the FOX25 News App and BostonGlobe.com.

Boston 2024 Chairman Steve Pagliuca, and Daniel Doctoroff, a Boston 2024 and USOC Board Member, faced off against  the Co-Chair of No Boston Olympics, Chris Dempsey, and  Smith College Economist Andrew Zimbalist, who is the author of “Circus Maximus: The Economic Gamble Behind Hosting the Olympics and the World Cup.”  The debate was co-moderated by FOX25 anchor Maria Stephanos and Boston Globe reporter Sacha Pfeiffer.
 
“This spirited discussion gave viewers, readers and social media users important information to help them determine if they should support bringing the Olympics to Boston, “ said FOX25 Vice President and General Manager Tom Raponi.  “We are proud to have partnered with The Boston Globe on this important community event.”

While concerns about transparency, transportation and venues were discussed, the biggest point of contention in the debate was the cost of funding the games. "Most of the numbers that I look at reflect drunken optimism, they don't reflect conservatism,” said Andrew Zimbalist.
 
Daniel Doctoroff quickly responded: "I looked at literally every bid  and studied every trend over a 10 year period of time.  I think to call those assumptions  drunken optimism is completely unfair and inaccurate."

Several viewer questions about the issues were posed to the panelists from twitter with the hashtag #olympicsdebate.  By the end of the debate, #olympicsdebate was the top trending twitter hashtag in the Boston area. 

“Readers, viewers and social media users confirmed that they have a hunger for learning more from both sides,” said Boston Globe CEO Mike Sheehan.  “The combined effort of the region’s two leading news organizations - The Boston Globe and FOX25 – has created even more transparency."

Following the debate, reporters from The Boston Globe and FOX25 carefully reviewed statements and facts from the panelists in a post-debate analysis that streamed live on myfoxboston.com, bostonglobe.com and  the FOX25 News App.  Viewers also stayed for continuing coverage on FOX25 News at 10, which ranked as the #1 Late Newscast with 42,586 Adult 25-54 viewers. FOX25 News at 11 was the #1 11 p.m. newscast with 37,735 A25-54 viewers.

 

WFXT FOX25 is part of the Cox Media Group.  The company’s operations currently include 14 broadcast television stations and one local cable channel, 57 radio stations, eight daily newspapers and more than a dozen non-daily publications, and more than 100 digital services. 

Boston Globe Media Partners, LLC provides news and information, entertainment, opinion, and analysis through its multimedia properties.  BGMP includes the Boston Globe, BostonGlobe.com, Boston.com, Cruxnow.com, BetaBoston.com, and Globe Direct.

 

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