Samba, sun and social issues: How the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 Rio Olympics changed perceptions of Germans about Brazil

Abstract

The host countries for mega-sporting events aim to become more visible and to be perceived positively by the global audience because of the media coverage around the event. The media’s influence on people’s perceptions is expected to be particularly high if the audience has no direct experience and little prior knowledge of the hosting nation, and thus depends on the media for information. Using a panel survey ( N = 76) with three rounds of data collection, this longitudinal study explores how television viewers’ perceptions of Brazil changed from before the 2014 FIFA World Cup to after this event, and after the 2016 Olympic Games hosted by Brazil. The results indicate that perceptions about topics related to Brazil (e.g. crime risk, standard of living, economic situation) have generally become more negative over time. Further, although associations with Brazil were very positive before the FIFA World Cup, respondents tended to associate more negative ideas with Brazil over time. Surprisingly, the intention to travel to Brazil increased after Brazil hosted the FIFA World Cup and the Olympics. Broader international significance of the findings for both host countries of mega-sporting events and broadcasting countries are discussed.