International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach has claimed that the Sochi Olympics will generate more worldwide broadcast coverage hours than the 2008 Beijing Games.
Winter Games have far fewer sports, with only seven federations taking part compared to 28 at summer Games.
Speaking before Friday opening ceremony for the Games, Bach said the Games will be broadcast in more than 200 countries and territories with a total of 75,000 hours, which he called an incredible figure, more than the summer Games in 2008.
The International Olympic Committee says the figure for Beijing was 72,000 hours worldwide.
Bach also laughed off suggestions these are the first Games to have received a direct security threat, after Islamist militants, fighting for an independent state in the North Caucasus, threatened the Games in a video message last month.
He laughed loudly and said there were threats on Sydney in 2000, Athens in 2004, and in Salt Lake City in 2002.
