Sparse figure skating crowd blamed on U.S. broadcasting demands

There wasn't much of an atmosphere Thursday at what's historically considered one of the most popular Winter Olympic events, and it appears demands from the U.S. broadcast rights-holder might be to blame.

Viewers in the U.S. were treated to some early action at PyeongChang 2018 ahead of Friday's opening ceremony when NBC aired the figure skating team competition live, with the event hitting the airwaves Thursday at 8 p.m. ET.

While the network likely saw a spike in ratings, large portions of the arena were empty for an event that started Friday at 10 a.m. local time. NBC, who pays billions to broadcast the Olympics, has since been blamed for attempting to manipulate the 14-hour time difference in a decision that likely resulted in the sparse crowd:

Other theories for the small crowd include the area where Gangneung Ice Arena is located, as well as the lengthy commute from South Korea's capital, Seoul.