For the first time in Olympic history, the French organizers chose to hold the opening ceremony in the heart of the French capital, along the banks of the Seine River next to the city’s iconic landmarks. This decision sparked high television ratings.

ERT1 and ERT3, which provided live coverage and sign language interpretation throughout the four-hour broadcast, achieved a combined viewership share of 43.4%. Notably, for at least one minute during the broadcast, viewership surpassed 53%. This peak occurred during the first half-hour of the transmission when national delegations began to appear on barges in the Seine, starting with the Greek team led by flag bearers Giannis Antetokounmpo and Antigoni Drisbioni.

The viewership share for this ceremony was higher than the previous two opening ceremonies, which were 27.5% for Tokyo 2021 and 31.4% for Rio 2016.