Rio de Janeiro, Dhu-AlQa'dah 14, 1437, August 17, 2016, SPA -- Around half of the world's 7.3 billion inhabitants will view some of the 2016 Olympics as digital platforms have strongly expanded since the previous Games, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) said Wednesday, according to dpa. "On the digital side is where we've seen the really big increase from London," said Timo Lumme, the IOC's television and marketing chief. While digital channels broadcast 81,500 hours of sports coverage at the 2012 Games, the amount will increase two and a half times in Rio de Janeiro, he told reporters. Traditional television channels are broadcasting 125,000 hours from Rio, 25 per cent more than in London. "We expect around half the world's population will have consumed the Games on some media platform," Lumme said. The combined potential audience reach of all of the IOC's broadcast partners has climbed to a record 5 billion people, he added. A number of sports events in Rio are taking place very late at night, during US television prime time. For example, the beach volleyball finals on Wednesday and Thursday only start at midnight (0300 GMT) which is 8 pm in Los Angeles. Lumme defended this programming and said it was done in consultation with athletes and local organizers. "This is always going to be a balance to try and make sure that we showcase the sports in the best way possible throughout the world," he said. --SPA 22:04 LOCAL TIME 19:04 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/w