Paris Olympics breaks basketball attendance record, surpasses Atlanta by huge margin in 40 fewer games

The 2024 Paris Olympic men's and women's basketball tournaments experienced historic attendance, surpassing a 28-year-long record with relative ease.

This year's Olympic basketball tournaments concluded over the weekend, with Team USA defeating France in both the men's and women's finals on Saturday and Sunday. In total, the tournaments attracted 1,078,319 spectators, comfortably beating the 1996 Atlanta Olympics' former fan-attendance record of 1,068,032.

The Paris Olympics amassed over 10,000 more fans despite hosting 40 fewer games (52) than Atlanta. Thus, its average single-game attendance was a staggering 20,737 fans.

The men's tournament was again the premier basketball attraction, garnering a per-game average of 21,711 spectators. However, the women's tournament wasn't far behind, with an average fan attendance of 19,763.

Lille's Pierre Mauroy Stadium did most of the heavy lifting, accommodating 876,686 spectators over 36 men's and women's contests, filling 91.8% of its capacity. That includes a historic 27,193 single-game women's basketball fan-attendance record during France and Australia's group-phase matchup. Afterward, Paris' Bercy Arena took over, attracting 201,633 spectators.

Moreover, this year's 3x3 basketball tournament at Place de la Concorde also sold out. The event drew in 72,000 total fans in its debut in front of a live audience.

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France challenges Team USA in men's and women's Olympic basketball gold-medal matchups

France's success during this year's basketball tournaments likely also played a key role in the Paris Olympics' viewership records. The host country challenged the Americans' stacked rosters in both the men's and women's tournaments' gold-medal matchups.

On the men's side, France fell 98-87 in Saturday's final after a late-game offensive onslaught from American superstar guard Steph Curry. His difficult shot-making helped the U.S. secure its fifth consecutive gold medal, overcoming French star center Victor Wembanyama's game-high 26-point performance.

Afterward, French coach Vincent Collet commended his team's effort.

"For sure, it’s a disappointment because we expected we could do it," Collet said. "But we have to recognize at the end that they are better. We are very close ... When they make fantastic shots, that’s the difference."

Meanwhile, the women's tournament saw Team USA escape with a 67-66 gold-medal victory over France on Sunday. After trailing by double digits in the third quarter, the U.S. rallied, surviving American-French forward Gabby Williams' last-second shot.

With France behind by three points, Williams' final buzzer-beating make came just inside the 3-point line. The mishap allowed the Americans to escape with a historic eighth straight gold medal.

However, the gold-medal win marked the U.S. women's squad's smallest victory margin during its dominant 61-game Olympic winning streak. Thus, Williams seemingly took solace in her team's achievement.

"I don’t think we should hold our heads down," Williams said. "There’s a little bit of disappointment. But once that pill has been swallowed, we can celebrate the silver medal. What we’ve done is inspirational."

So, France's men's and women's basketball teams each likely made their fans proud en route to earning silver medals.

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