ABSTRACT
This essay focuses on the coverage of the past seven Olympic Opening Ceremonies (1984–2008) through the lens of one national broadcaster: China Central Television (CCTV), which has been the sole Olympic TV rights holder within the Chinese mainland during this period. Through textual analysis of CCTV’s live broadcast narrative, I hope to first shed light on how the concept of liminality may be used to analyze the coverage of a highly ritualized sports event. Second, I look for changes in the media’s ritual practices and ritual language across these years and search for possible explanations.
