The Medal War in Peacetime: Examining Nationalistic Notions Embedded in CCTV’s Coverage of Gymnastics in the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics

The development of modern sports in China, to a large extent, has been motivated by nationalism. This study examines the Chinese Central Television’s (CCTV) full gymnastics broadcast (over 14 hours) of the 2016 Rio Olympics by content analysis, uncovering that CCTV held clear favoritism toward home athletes, particularly in a context in which Chinese gymnasts were largely unsuccessful. CCTV’s evident preference toward home athletes echoes an “us vs. them” dichotomy in which the network is inclined to seek superiority over other countries by enthusiastically complimenting in-group members. This study sheds light on sports nationalism in Chinese sports cultures, with theoretical and practical implications provided.