Airbnb is considering hotel-like amenities for travelers.
NurPhoto
Airbnb's chief business officer told Bloomberg the company is exploring luxury services for guests.
Dave Stephenson teased massages, personal chefs, and other add-ons in an interview with Bloomberg.
It's the latest tactic the company is considering to woo travelers who might otherwise book hotels.
Travelers may soon be able to order a massage or personal chef from the comfort of their Airbnb.
While attending the Olympics, Airbnb executive Dave Stephenson told Bloomberg that the short-term rental giant is considering an array of new offerings for guests.
In his remarks, Stephenson mentioned massages, personal chefs, and more frequent cleanings — amenities that mimic those found in many luxury hotels.
The company is preparing to launch "services that will make it better for guests to stay in Airbnbs" next year, Stephenson told Bloomberg.
Airbnb and hotels are locked in a heated battle for travelers. The socially-distanced travel boom following early COVID-19 lockdowns led Airbnb to a record number of travelers and profits, while the hotel industry faced an existential crisis.
In May, during the company's most recent earnings call, Airbnb founder and CEO Brian Chesky said that some people believe "hotels are historically a more consistent experience."
"If we can just get one of those travelers from hotels to stay in an Airbnb, that would double our size," Chesky told analysts.
Travelers weigh the benefits of hotels versus short-term rentals
John and Beverly Martin, a retired couple from Florida traveling the world, told Business Insider last year they switched back to hotels from Airbnbs after visiting 91 countries.
The couple said prices were similar but they felt hotels were a better deal.
"We didn't have a terrible time with Airbnbs, but just found them to be not consistent," John Martin told BI. "About half the time they were amazing, but the other half we had problems."
Other travelers have revolted over what they consider to be demanding chore lists.
On and off since 2022, users on TikTok and Twitter have complained about the the idea of doing housework on vacation.
"If I'm paying $229 a night to stay somewhere plus a $125 cleaning fee, I'm not doing any laundry," TikToker @Melworeit said in a now-deleted viral video. "I know it's like one load of laundry and it'll take me two minutes to do, but it's the principle that really bothers me."
Hotels, for their part, have tried to capitalize on guests' discontent with cleaning fees and chores. Mega-chain Hilton ran a commercial in 2022 featuring a young family checking into an Airbnb-esque online vacation rental, only to find it was a house of horrors complete with haunted baby dolls on the bed, insane rules scribbled on the walls, and a command to "clean up after yourself, you slob."
Stephenson's comments show how Airbnb may be trying to increase its appeal to an audience familiar with the on-site perks of hotels.
The company, Stephenson said, is actively trying to identify what makes travelers choose hotels over Airbnbs.
He told Bloomberg his wife received a massage at their Paris Airbnb during the Games, a preview of what could come for all guests in the future.
From McDonald's snack wraps and chicken tenders to Taco Bell's spicy tostada, these items still haven't returned to fast-food menus.
Hollis Johnson/Business Insider
Fast-food chains removed many popular menu items during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2020, restaurants streamlined menus to focus on popular items and ease employee workload.
McDonald's and Taco Bell overhauled menus, with some items still not returning post-pandemic.
The COVID-19 pandemic brought about many changes in the fast-food industry, including the removal of multiple fan-favorite menu items.
In 2020, fast-food restaurants opted for shortened menus that focused more on chains' most popular items to streamline working conditions for their employees.
McDonald's and Taco Bell both overhauled their menus during the pandemic, while other chains chose to discontinue a few items due to changing tastes.
While many menu items have since returned to menus, others haven't.
Here are fast-food menu items that disappeared during the pandemic and never made a comeback.
Taco Bell began removing the Quesarito and other items from its menu in 2020.
A Taco Bell Quesarito made with rice, taco meat, and sour cream.
Erin McDowell/Business Insider
Amid the pandemic, Taco Bell announced it would be streamlining its menu and removing its Quesarito, a combination of a beef burrito and a quesadilla, from restaurant menus, among other popular items.
"While change is hard, a simplified menu and innovation process will leave room for new fan favorites, continued progress in categories such as plant-based diets, and even opportunities for the return of some classics on a limited-time basis," Taco Bell said in a press release in 2020.
The Quesarito still hasn't made a comeback.
Another item included in Taco Bell's pandemic-era menu changes was the Triple Layer Nachos.
Taco Bell's Triple-Layer Nachos were made with beans and a tangy red sauce on a bed of tortilla chips.
Irene Jiang/Business Insider
The triple-layer nachos came with beans, tangy red sauce, and warm nacho cheese sauce atop a layer of tortilla chips.
Once part of the chain's value menu, the nachos were removed during the chain's streamlining of its current menu.
The Spicy Tostada was also removed from the Taco Bell menu.
Taco Bell's tostada came in a box topped with tomatoes, shredded cheese, and lettuce.
Rachel Askinasi/Business Insider
The Spicy Tostada was an item in Taco Bell's value menu that was removed in 2020 amid the chain's menu changes.
"A flat, round, crunchy tortilla serves as a sturdy base for this open-face taco. With a layer of beans, a heaping mound of lettuce, and a handful of tomatoes, this qualifies as a hearty snack," one Business Insider review said of the item.
While the original spicy tostada hasn't returned, Taco Bell recently introduced the Big Cheez-It Tostada, which features an oversized Cheez-It cracker topped with seasoned beef, diced tomatoes, lettuce, shredded cheese, and reduced-fat sour cream.
KFC switched its potato wedges for fries, and they still haven't returned despite fans' pleas.
KFC's potato wedges were popular among fans before they were replaced with fries.
KFC
During the pandemic, KFC swapped its signature potato wedges for a new fries recipe, which upset some fans and even inspired a petition to bring the wedges back. As of August 2024, the petition has nearly 5,000 signatures.
"Greasy, tasteless, and gross," one X user wrote of the fries in September 2020. "Go back to wedges! Or at least offer both."
A KFC representative told The US Sun in 2023, "While we know our potato wedges hold a special place in the hearts of some KFC fans, we wanted to make room for something even tastier on the permanent menu."
The spokesperson added that customer feedback on the chain's fries had "been overwhelmingly positive from testing in 2019 to the national launch in 2020."
"Today, our Secret Recipe Fries are one of our most popular sides," they said.
McDonald's removed chicken tenders from the menu during the pandemic, and they still haven't returned.
McDonald's chicken tenders have been removed and readded to menus over the years.
Hollis Johnson/Business Insider
First called Chicken Selects, chicken tenders debuted on McDonald's menus in 2004 before being removed in 2013.
Four years later, they returned to menus as Buttermilk Crispy Tenders and were so popular that the chain struggled to keep up with demand, Today.com reported.
Therefore, it was surprising that chicken tenders were temporarily removed from menus during the COVID-19 pandemic and still have not returned over four years later.
However, Delish reported in July that the chain is reportedly testing new chicken strips in seven locations as part of its updated McCrispy lineup.
McDonald's also removed salads from menus in 2020.
McDonald's Southwest Salad included tortilla chips and chicken.
Irene Jiang/Business Insider
McDonald's said that the chain was focusing on its most popular choices and removing some less popular options, which could explain why salads — an item the chain is by no means known for — got the chop from US menus, though they're still available at some international locations.
"To simplify operations in our kitchens and for our crew, and ensure the best possible experience for our customers, we are working with our franchisees and local restaurants to focus on serving our most popular choices and will begin temporarily removing some items from the menu," Bill Garrett, then McDonald's senior vice president of operations, said in a statement to Business Insider in March 2020.
McDonald's began removing its popular snack wraps years ago before cutting them entirely in 2020.
The Asian crispy McWrap, a larger version of the snack wraps.
Introduced in 2006, the McDonald's snack wrap consisted of either crispy or grilled white-meat chicken breast, shredded cheddar cheese, Monterey Jack cheese, lettuce, and a choice of ranch, honey mustard, or salsa, wrapped in a soft tortilla.
A 2016 Bloomberg report said the chain began phasing out wraps from its US menus in 2015 and removed them from most menus nationwide the following year.
Food Network reported that in 2020, snack wraps were completely removed from all US menus due to the pandemic and the chain's efforts to simplify its menu.
McDonald's also removed its grilled chicken sandwich from menus.
McDonald's grilled chicken sandwich came topped with lettuce and tomato.
McDonald's
While McDonald's has quite a few chicken sandwiches on its menu, from the classic McChicken to its lineup of crispy chicken sandwiches, there hasn't been a grilled chicken sandwich on the menu since the start of the pandemic.
"We will certainly add things back to the menu. Whether it goes all the way back to where we were pre-COVID, I think that's probably unlikely," CEO Chris Kempczinski said during a 2020 virtual investor conference, CNBC reported.
Panera also made cuts from its menu during the pandemic, including three popular items.
Panera Bread workers assembling sandwiches in a restaurant.
Houston Chronicle/Hearst Newspapers via Getty Images
Business Insider previously reported that the chain decided to remove some items from its menu due to the COVID-19 pandemic, including the Tuscan Chicken Sandwich, the Maple Bacon Scrambled Egg Wrap, and the Cheese Brittany.
Shawn Gorman outside L.L. Bean's store in Freeport.
Shawn Patrick Ouellette/Portland Press Herald via Getty Images
L.L. Bean has grown from a small-town business to an international outdoor brand.
The company is still owned and largely managed by descendants of founder Leon Leonwood Bean.
Here's a look at the family behind the maker of Bean Boots.
L.L. Bean field jackets, shoes, and other outdoor apparel are popular — even stylish — for many consumers.
But unlike many big brands, L.L. Bean remains a family affair.
The company has been owned and managed by Leon Leonwood Bean and his descendants since Bean founded it in 1912. The company has not gone public, and while its CEO is from outside the family, Bean's heirs still play a commanding role.
Here is the story of L.L. Bean's founding family:
Do you work for L.L. Bean and have a story idea to share? Reach out to this reporter at abitter@businessinsider.com
Leon Leonwood Bean founded L.L. Bean in 1912.
A UPS truck driving past an L.L. Bean facility.
Derek Davis/Portland Press Herald via Getty Images
Bean, who was an orphan by age 12, grew up working on farms. Eventually, he landed a job working in his brother's shoe store and became the manager of a second store in Freeport, Maine that they called "Bean Bros.," according to a biography of Bean on the company website.
Bean also enjoyed hunting and fishing, particularly "the thrill of the chase and the camaraderie of fellow hunters," according to the company's biography.
Initially, Bean sold just one product: the Maine Hunting Shoe.
Pairs of old Maine Hunting Shoes on display at an L.L. Bean store.
Paolo Picciotto/REDA&CO/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
Bean developed the Maine Hunting Shoe after dealing with wet leather boots during a hunting trip, according to L.L. Bean's website. To create something better, he used rubber shoe soles and had a high top added to them to create something that looked part-shoe, part-boot.
Many of L.L. Bean's early shoes fell apart after customers started using them, the Wall Street Journal reported. So Bean improved the shoe and sent revised versions out. He also listened to customer feedback on new products, according to the Journal.
He used a flyer to sell his Maine Hunting Shoe, according to the company. It was the start of a catalog and mail-order business that L.L. Bean maintains to this day.
Leon Gorman, Bean's grandson, helped build L.L. Bean into a bigger brand.
Leon Gorman in 2001.
John Ewing/Portland Press Herald via Getty Images
After Leon Leonwood passed away in 1967, Leon Gorman took over as L.L. Bean's president.
An avid outdoorsman like his grandfather, Leon brought his interests to the company and its products. "I couldn't imagine working for a company where I couldn't use the products and develop a passion for them," he wrote in his 2006 memoir, according to an excerpt on theL.L. Bean website.
Gorman also set up L.L. Bean's "Stakeholder Philosophy," which the company still uses today.
"We don't measure success based on profit, but on the well-being of all our stakeholders — including customers, employees, the community, the environment and vendors," Shawn Gorman, Leon's nephew, said in an interview excerpt on the company website.
Under Gorman, the company became a household name among outdoor enthusiasts.
L.L. Bean's store in Freeport, Maine.
AP/Joel Page
Under Gorman's leadership, L.L. Bean went far beyond selling its products through the mail.
Sales grew from less than $5 million in 1967 to well above $1 billion annually by the time Gorman stepped down from management, according to the company.
In the 1990s and early 2000s, L.L. Bean added to its store in Freeport by opening locations in other parts of the U.S. as well as Japan.
Today, L.L. Bean has 47 retail stores outside of its home state. It also operates 10 outlet stores in the Northeastern U.S. In Freeport, where its operations are headquartered, L.L. Bean has a seven-acre retail campus and a 16-foot-tall statue of a Bean Boot, according to the company.
L.L. Bean also launched "Outdoor Discovery Schools" for customers while Gorman was at the helm.
Leon Gorman outside of an L.L. Bean store.
AP
Under Gorman, L.L. Bean started offering customers experiences, not just products.
In 1979, the company started offering excursions for wintertime activities from its Maine store.
Today, the Outdoor Discovery Programs allow customers to "enjoy outdoor activities and learn new skills" through trips focusing on activities from fly fishing to snowshoeing, according to the company.
Leon Gorman died in 2015.
Employees close L.L. Bean's store in Freeport, Maine in observance of Leon Gorman's death.
Ben McCanna/Portland Portland Press Herald via Getty Images
Gorman stepped down as president and CEO in 2001, according to the company. He then became chairman of the board, a role he held until 2013.
He died in 2015. In his honor, L.L. Bean's flagship store in Freeport closed for his funeral.
That year, the family had a net worth of $1.9 billion, according to Forbes. That placed them at #134 on the magazine's list of America's richest families, though they dropped out of the ranking in 2016.
His successor as chairman of the board was Shawn Gorman.
Shawn Gorman outside L.L. Bean's store in Freeport.
Shawn Patrick Ouellette/Portland Press Herald via Getty Images
A great-grandson of L.L. Bean and nephew of Leon Gorman, Shawn Gorman worked his way up the family business, starting as an analyst in L.L. Bean's marketing department in 1991, per the company's website.
Shawn Gorman didn't originally intend to work in the family business, he said in a 2015 interview with UNH Today, the magazine of the University of New Hampshire, his alma matter. Only after working in sales elsewhere did he decide to join L.L. Bean, he said.
Ownership of L.L. Bean is split between dozens of family members.
Shoes at an L.L. Bean facility.
Getty/Derek Davis
L.L. Bean remains a privately held, family-owned company, and dozens of descendants of L.L. Bean have a say in the business, the company has said.
While the board of directors head the company, they also work with an "owners' council" composed of family members to make important decisions about the company, Gorman told Mainebiz in 2023.
"The owners' council forum makes space for dissenting points of view to be heard and considered, with the goal of delivering a reflection of those points of view to the business through the board of directors," Gorman said.
L.L. Bean is also managed by a CEO, Stephen Smith, who isn't related to the founding family.
The family is prominent in Freeport and the state of Maine.
Linda Bean's Maine Kitchen & Topside Tavern, located near L.L. Bean's flagship store in Freeport.
Gregory Rec/Portland Portland Press Herald via Getty Images
Many descendants of L.L. Bean made their lives in Freeport and other areas of Maine.
L.L. Bean granddaughter and company board member Linda Bean, for instance, spent much of the last two decades building a lobstering business in the state, including facilities to process the catch and a series of consumer-facing products, such as lobster claws, the New York Times reported in her obituary.
She also opened a restaurant chain with locations in Maine and Florida, the Times reported.
L.L. Bean defended itself after Linda Bean expressed support for President Donald Trump.
Linda Bean at a 2020 rally for Donald Trump's presidential campaign.
AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty, File
After Donald Trump was elected president in 2016, a movement called #GrabYourWallet added L.L. Bean to a list of companies that it encouraged customers to boycott over their connections to Trump. #GrabYourWallet cited Linda Bean's support of a pro-Trump Political Action Committee when it added the brand to its list, Esquire reported in early 2017.
In response, Shawn Gorman said in a Facebook post at the time that Bean was "only one of 50+ family members involved in the business."
"L.L.Bean does not endorse political candidates, take positions on political matters, or make political contributions," Gorman wrote. "Simply put, we stay out of politics."
Trump later acknowledged Bean's support in a post on X, then known as Twitter. "Buy L.L. Bean," the post read in part.
Linda Bean had previously supported conservative political causes. She also ran unsuccessfully for Congress, losing a Republican primary in 1988 and a general election in 1992.
L.L. Bean devoted some of its manufacturing power to making face masks in 2020.
A worker at an L.L. Bean facility.
Blake Nissen for The Boston Globe via Getty Images
As COVID-19 spread around the US in early 2020, some L.L. Bean employees paused their work on Bean boots and other products to make personal protective equipment for medical workers.
The employees used material meant for dog-bed liners to make face masks, CEO Stephen Smith told CNBC in March that year. The effort produced 350,000 masks, according to the company.
L.L. Bean's "golden rule" remains in place.
A special-edition shoe from L.L. Bean celebrating the Boston Red Sox's 2018 World Series win.
Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images
L.L. Bean ran his business by a "golden rule," Gorman told NBC's Today in a July interview.
"To sell good merchandise at a reasonable profit, treat people like human beings and they'll always come back for more," Gorman said.
Janine Pelosi was Zoom's CMO during the pandemic and is now CEO of a tech company called Neat.
She reflected on how remote work has impacted her own life and changed our working world.
Building relationships and trust with employees will be crucial to support remote work, she said.
Janine Pelosi directs her company out of her home in California, but its headquarters are across the Atlantic, in Oslo, Norway, nine hours ahead of her.
It's emblematic of our flexible post-pandemic world, which has allowed remote working arrangements to thrive.
Pelosi is the CEO of Neat, a tech company that sells videoconferencing devices. Prior to that, she spent eight years at Zoom, including the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, when she was the company's CMO.
During a video call with BI, one of many virtual meetings slotted into her day, the CEO recalled her "unique perspective" of the pandemic, which saw Zoom become a household name.
She said the pandemic destigmatized working from home instead of in an office, but that, in turn, crowded many people's days with formal online meetings.
Moving forward, the former Zoom CMO believes that developing in-person relationships and a strong company culture can support the effectiveness of remote work.
More meetings don't equal more productivity, so employees should use their time wisely
Virtual meetings can be time-consuming, but they don't always lead to increased productivity.
Pelosi said online meetings are more structured than a coffee chat or desk-side discussions in the office.
Because the video meetings are transactional and set up for a specific purpose, they're dealt with swiftly. "People are meeting for a reason, and getting to that purpose as quickly as possible is typically the reality of their days so they can get to the next thing on their plate," she added.
Pelosi told BI that a calendar packed with meetings — a fallout of remote work — isn't necessarily productive, "For me personally, it does not equate to productivity because it doesn't give me room to actually think or strategize," she told BI.
She said employees should feel empowered to ask for a meeting agenda and check whether they need to be present in meetings to ensure they're using their time wisely.
Technology can help bridge the gap between people meeting in different locations
Excessive meetings aside, Pelosi said remote work will continue to be crucially important to our future, despite the ongoing RTO debate, because it allows people to be productive wherever they are.
"I think it would be a big mistake if we lost out on some of those gains. I think about the commute that I had five days a week before the pandemic, and it feels silly to me that I did that."
Improving technology so people meeting from different locations are all fully present should be a priority, according to Pelosi.
"If you have a lag, if your audio is not crisp, if your video is not working to the best of its ability, then it will affect your ability to come to the same understandings when you are in a meeting. So that quality is going to be the thing that bridges the gap between being fully dispersed and being able to be in that same room."
But nothing beats face-to-face connection
Although she's spent roughly 20 years working in the videoconferencing industry, Pelosi said nothing can compare to an in-person connection: "There's no replacement for being in the same room."
But it's become increasingly difficult to get teams together, Pelosi said, adding that building relationships and trust with employees will be key in a more digitalized future.
"I think it's incredibly important that the culture is strong within a company because what you're seeing too often is that folks have a relationship with their Zoom screen versus their employer," she said.
Pelosi herself travels monthly to see colleagues in person, visiting Neat's HQ in Oslo as well as its London office. She said companies need to encourage connection in and outside meetings to increase productivity.
She suggests hosting regular all-hands meetings, doing online cooking classes with teams, and encouraging employees who live in the same city to get together in person. This could help drive company culture and strengthen relationships in a world overcrowded with online meetings.
"Making room for that time to build relationships is going to allow for meeting remotely to be more effective in the future," she said.
In July, jobless claims reached their highest in almost a year.
Bryan Woolston/Reuters
US stocks nosedived on Thursday after several discouraging economic data points.
Jobless claims soared past estimates to the highest level seen in nearly a year.
The ISM manufacturing index dropped from 48.5% in June to 46.8% in July, marking an eight-month low.
US stock indexes saw a deep sell-off on Thursday as a combination of rising unemployment and slowing economic indicators weighed on markets.
In the labor market, new data showed jobless claims came in at 249,000 for last week, above estimates of 236,000. That number marks the highest level in nearly a year and is another signal to the Fed that rate cuts are needed soon.
Investors are pricing in a 100% chance of Fed rate cuts in September, according to the CME FedWatch tool. During an FOMC meeting on Wednesday, Fed Chair Jerome Powell suggested the Fed would be "data dependent, but not data-point dependent" in making the decision to cut rates.
Meanwhile, new data shows ISM manufacturing slid further into contraction territory in July. The ISM manufacturing index dropped from 48.5% in June to 46.8% in July—an eight-month low—showing that U.S. factories are still in a downturn.
Further data shows construction spending unexpectedly declined in June, falling 0.3% to $2.15 trillion. Economists had predicted a 0.2% rise, according to a poll by Reuters.
The fall comes as single-family home construction slowed due to higher mortgage rates.
The market reaction shows investor optimism over the prospect of a September rate cut — and potentially more aggressive cuts than are currently being expected — is being outweighed by negative economic developments.
Here's where US indexes stood at the 4 p.m. closing bell on Wednesday:
Moderna lowered its annual sales forecast as sales of its COVID-19 vaccine dropped by 37%.
The company's vaccine sales struggled especially in Europe, where Pfizer has a deal until 2026.
Shares of Moderna fell as much as 21% on Thursday as a result.
People are getting fewer COVID-19 shots, and it's hitting former vaccine heavyweight Moderna, new earnings show.
The company's second quarter revenue dropped to $241 million, compared to $344 million a year ago, as sales of its COVID-19 vaccine dropped 37% year-over-year.
The company's executives told investors that this drop reflects a more seasonal COVID-19 vaccine market, where people will likely get the vaccine during the fall and winter. It also acknowledged that it's been all but shut out of the European vaccine market.
Moderna also lowered its sales forecast for the year to between $3 billion and $3.5 billion, down from its previous forecast of around $4 billion.
Its stock tumbled as much as 21% on Thursday.
The sales slump also indicates tougher competition in Europe, where Moderna's vaccine sales saw especially drastic losses after Pfizer renegotiated a contract with the bloc that ends in 2026.
"Given where we are in the season combined with where we are in the budget season for many countries and their existing supplies," there's a "very low probability" of high sales in Europe this year," CEO Stephane Bancel told analysts on the earnings call.
Moderna executives also pointed to more competition in respiratory vaccines in the US, though said that its seeing positive results from recent trials of its new RSV vaccine mRESVIA and dual Covid-19 and flu vaccine.
Competitor Pfizer also saw a decline in Covid-19 shots last quarter, but managed to surpass analyst expectations and raise its full-year outlook with broad cost cuts and sales of its non-Covid products.
The large-scale connectivity infrastructure at the Paris Olympics is a culmination of years of innovation.
David Ramos/Getty Images
The Paris Olympics has one of the world's largest private 5G networks.
It's the culmination of years of fine-tuning over successive Olympic Games — as this timeline shows.
This article is part of "5G Playbook," a series exploring one of our time's most important tech innovations.
The Olympic Games are perhaps the world's best-known sporting competition, broadcast to billions worldwide.
Behind the scenes, intricate internet-connectivity infrastructure broadcasts every twist and turn to those watching from home, while keeping millions in Paris connected with always-on data. 5G is also being used to offer unique perspectives, including from mobile cameras showing how kitesurfers experience their sport.
"Seamless internet connectivity is no longer a luxury at large-scale events — it's an expectation," Markus Nispel, the chief technology officer at Extreme Networks for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, told Business Insider.
This year, the Games are using 5G to pursue more-seamless connectivity for attendees. But it's taken multiple Olympics over six years for the technology to reach new heights.
Here's how 5G capabilities have progressed at the Olympic Games since 2018, starting with a small trial at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, and expanding to today's Games-wide connectivity experience.
Pyeongchang Winter Olympics 2018
For the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea, KT, formerly Korea Telecom, ran 5G-network trials to showcase how the technology could be used.
The trials included Sync View, a small camera that provided real-time athlete viewpoints, and Hologram Live, which broadcast press conferences live and in hologram form. There was also a 360-degree virtual-reality system that let visitors put on a headset and be immersed in other venues.
Another trial feature, Time Slice, allowed viewers at home to watch events from multiple angles. The demonstrations highlighted the potential of 5G for high-speed, low-latency applications in broadcasting and immersive experiences.
The trials in Pyeongchang were limited by necessity: 5G was still a nascent technology. Widespread adoption of end-user 5G didn't start until a year after the 2018 Games, but organizers saw the opportunity and chose to trial it.
Tokyo Summer Olympics 2020
The delayed Tokyo Olympics, which took place in 2021 because of the coronavirus, included a slew of 5G innovations.
Golf-tournament attendees could rent devices to watch live footage of players who were at different holes from where they were, which provided a new level of access.
For the sailing competition, a 50-foot floating screen in the harbor broadcast footage of the event via a drone and 5G technology, bringing a historically hard-to-see sport closer to viewers. At the swimming pool, attendees could use a 5G-enabled augmented-reality app to learn more about the competitors in front of them.
All those innovations were made possible by the collaboration between the tech giant Intel and its Japanese partner NTT Docomo. The companies jointly developed the 5G network at what organizers called "the most innovative Olympic Games ever."
Indeed, the Tokyo Games saw a significant step forward in 5G adoption because of Japan's advanced tech use. But it would still take time for it to be adopted more widely.
Beijing Winter Olympics 2022
China has long been an innovator of mobile technology, and the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing proved no exception.
Each Olympic venue had a full 5G network available to use, a first for the global competition. The technology was used at all sporting events, allowing for much deeper integration with TV broadcasting. Mario Reis, the director of telecommunications at the Olympic Broadcasting Services, said at the time that advancement in 5G enabled it to be trusted enough for deployment as a backbone technology for the Games' coverage.
Intel once again partnered with a company from the host country, China Unicom, to roll out 5G capabilities. This was a boon given the more-remote nature of the Games, which took place during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The ability for athletes to keep in touch with their families using 5G — which allows for faster, higher-resolution video calls — likely helped ease the challenges of performing at an event where movement and interaction were limited.
Paris Summer Olympics 2024
Unlike previous Games, where organizers have sought to assign network responsibilities across a number of providers, the Paris Olympic organizers hired Orange as the sole provider to oversee 5G.
"It's a very impressive deployment that we are doing to enhance coverage," Bertrand Rojat, the chief marketing and innovation officer at Orange, told BI.
The telecom giant's plans include a massive private 5G network to provide capacity across 32 sports and 120 official sites across the city. The organizers said that 12,000 screens, 8,000 WiFi terminals, and 13,000 computers are all connected by nearly 250,000 miles of fiber-optic cable, which will transmit the Games from the stadiums.
The ability to use network slicing, where a 5G network's total capacity is divided up and earmarked for specific uses, means the Olympic Broadcasting Services, which streams footage of the events, is expected to have minimal issues. If network slicing weren't in place, periods of peak usage by Games attendees could take up the capacity needed to power broadcasts.
It's a significant test of the network but one that Rojat believes Orange is well prepared to handle.
"We're quite confident," he told BI, "although you can never commit 100%."
Carnival's latest 5,245-guest Firenze is great for budget cruises, so long as you're okay with the mediocre food and abundance of potential upcharges.
Brittany Chang/Business Insider
Cheap cruises are increasingly difficult to find as cruise lines raise prices.
Operators are also increasingly outfitting their ships with pay-to-play amenities.
The combination of higher fares and increased onboard spending is making budget cruises a relic of the past.
In the next few years, you could turn to the youth and say, "When I was your age, budget cruises were still a thing."
Cruise giants Carnival Corp and Royal Caribbean Group are having a windfall year, with both companies reporting sky-high onboard spending, prices, and demand in their second-quarter 2024 earnings report.
It's a sign that the vacation-at-sea industry is doing better than ever. But this news might not be so welcome if you're a fan of cheap cruises.
Budget cruises are so 2022
Cruises were ultra-cheap in 2022 as the vacation-at-sea industry began recovering from a halt in operations amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Brittany Chang/Business Insider
Cheap cruise aggregator Cruise Sheet shows fewer than 630 itineraries listed at $100 or less a day from July through December.
Not bad, right? Well, let's go back in time.
The year was 2022. Cruise lines were just beginning to reactivate their fleets after a tumultuous pause in operations amid the COVID-19 pandemic (remember that?).
From July 2022 through the end of that year, there were about 2,000 sailings for under $100 a day, Tynan Smith, the founder of Cruise Sheet, told Business Insider at the time — a stark contrast to today's limited options.
That's not to say ultra-affordable cruises don't exist anymore
Tyanan Smith, founder of cheap cruise aggregator Cruise Sheet, told Business Insider in 2022 that 45 cruises were being sold for a maximum of $50 a day from July 2022 through the end of that year. Now, according to data from Cruise Sheet's website, there's only one through the end of this year.
Brittany Chang/Business Insider
A handful of 2024 itineraries from more premium cruise lines like Princess, Celebrity, and Holland America are still being sold at an inexpensive rate of $80 a day or less. You can also try smaller companies like Margaritaville at Sea, the cheapest of which runs at $25 a night (although it won't be of the aforementioned companies' quality or caliber).
For the most part, if you want to pay that little but don't want to hunt for a deal, you're better off sticking with Carnival Cruise Line.
The popular company has about 155 sailings for under $80 a day through 2024, mostly on older ships, according to Cruise Sheet's website. That's more than Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Norwegian, Princess, and Holland America combined.
Success — looks like you just found yourself some pretty affordable itineraries!
Just be sure to temper your spending once onboard. Otherwise, your $80-a-day vacation could quickly become $160 a day.
Your budget vacation might not be so budget-friendly once onboard
Mass-market cruise lines have increasingly added pricey pay-to-play amenities to their new ships. For example, Carnival's latest Firenze has a free buffet with upcharged chicken wings.
Brittany Chang/Business Insider
Cruises are often lauded as an economical vacation choice compared to hotels and flights.
But budget accordingly if you want drinks, excursions, fancier restaurants, WiFi, or even some onboard attractions — they'll all have fees on mass-market cruise lines like Carnival and Royal Caribbean ships.
Take Carnival Conquest, for example. The 22-year-old vessel is scheduled for many of the cruise line's cheapest-per-day itineraries this year.
The ship has seven complimentary dining venues and five with fees — the latter not including upcharges for lobsters and steaks at the otherwise free dining room.
Carnival Conquest has an upcharged coffee shop, sushi takeout option, and steakhouse.
Carnival Cruise Line
And while its mini-golf course, shows, and waterslide are free, you'll have to pay extra for the arcade games or to participate in the "Build-A-Bear Workshop at Sea" or "Deal or No Deal" programs.
The same goes for WiFi, a necessity for travelers who want to live-post vacation snaps on their Instagram stories.
Thankfully, Carnival Corp just finished outfitting its ships with Starlink this year — which Josh Weinstein, president and CEO of Carnival Corp, called "another revenue uplift opportunity" in a call with analysts in late June.
Carnival Firenze has plenty of free amenities, including a mini-golf course and ropes course.
Brittany Chang/Business Insider
The cruise line's drinks package alone starts at $70.74 per person and day. A dinner at its steakhouse adds another $50 for that day, while WiFi for social media websites starts at $15.30 daily.
And before you know it, if you don't have restraint, your ultra-inexpensive cruise could quickly double in cost — all while you're still stuck in an inside cabin.
With all these opportunities to spend big, it's no wonder both Carnival Corp and Royal Caribbean Group have reported a spike in onboard spending in the first two quarters of 2024 compared to the same period last year.
So, yes, it's still possible to find an ultra-cheap cruise. Just get ready to hunt for it or go with Carnival — and monitor your spending on the ship, or else all your efforts will be for nothing.
Olympians Ilona Maher, Simone Biles, and Tom Daley.
Mike Coppola/Staff/Getty Images; Elsa/Staff/Getty Images; Wang He/Stringer/Getty Images
The 2024 Summer Olympics are underway in Paris and athletes are bringing along their followers.
US Olympic rugby player Ilona Maher has 1.7 million followers on the platform.
Stars including Simone Biles and Erik Shoji are showing off their Olympic Village meals and outfits.
The 2024 Summer Olympics are here, and as elite athletes go for gold, they're taking fans along for the ride on TikTok.
The platform is a popular choice for sharing training schedules, daily routines, skits with teammates, and brand partnerships.
Such partnerships can play a key role in funding their Olympic lifestyles, especially in niche sports like synchronized swimming or volleyball, which don't garner the same attention as other sports like soccer or basketball.
In fact, Business Insider reported in 2021 that a global study of 500 elite athletes found that nearly 60% of them did not consider themselves financially stable.
Since sponsorships are largely dependent on an athlete's popularity and performance, TikTok and other social media platforms like Instagram and YouTube have become important, albeit necessary, ways for athletes to gain a notable following and increase their chances to collaborate with major brands like L'Oréal, Amazon, Delta, and Brooks Running.
Here are 10 elite athletes you'll likely see on your For You Page during the Olympics.
All follower counts were accurate as of July 30, 2024.
Ilona Maher is an Olympic rugby player who uses her platform to promote body positivity.
Ilona Maher Team USA portrait.
Mike Coppola/Staff/Getty Images
Arguably the No. 1 Olympic TikToker is rugby player Ilona Maher, who has 1.7million followers.
Maher, 27, first went viral three years ago during the Summer Olympics in Tokyo thanks to sharing a behind-the-scenes view of the Olympic Village and its notorious "anti-sex beds."
So far, she's given her followers glimpses of the Olympic Village and her Olympic outfits. She also notably shares body positivity content. As an accomplished rugby player with World Championship and Olympic experience, Maher has been vocal about her love for her body.
NCAA.org reported that at the Team USA Media Summit in April Maher said she tries to show her audience that they don't need to sacrifice their femininity or beauty to play a physical sport like rugby.
"That's a little bit why I wear the lipstick when I play. I can tackle hard and run hard but also, you know, still feel beautiful and still bring that into it. It's not like you have to sacrifice that," she said.
Her talent and outspokenness have led to collaborations with brands such as L'Oréal, Brooks Running, Delta, and Maybelline as she promotes #beastbeautybrains.
World No. 2 women's tennis player Coco Gauff has also been documenting her Olympic debut.
Coco Gauff reacts after winning the quarterfinal of the 2024 French Open.
Robert Prange/Contributor/Getty Images
2023 US Open champion and 2024 Roland-Garros women's doubles champion Coco Gauff, 20, traveled to Paris for her Olympic debut after a positive COVID-19 test forced her out of competition in Tokyo.
As the WTA Singles No. 2 women's player in the world, Gauff qualified for the Olympics, but on Tuesday, she lost in the third round of the women's singles to Croatia's Donna Vekic,The New York Timesreported. Gauff will also be competing in the women's doubles with her partner,Jessica Pegula.
So far, Gauff has given her 713K TikTok followers a front-row seat to the Olympics opening ceremony, where she was a flagbearer, and the Olympic Village bathrooms.
British diver Tom Daley won his fifth Olympic medal this year but still had time to show his TikTok followers the amenities in Paris.
Tom Daley poses with his medal at the Doha 2024 World Aquatics Championship.
Quinn Rooney/Staff/Getty Images
British diving legend Tom Daley returned from retirement for his fifth Olympic Games — and won a silver medal with his partner, Noah Williams, in the men's synchronized 10m platform, per Olympics.com.
Since his debut in 2008 at just 14 years old, Daley has become an Olympic fan-favorite known not only for his incredible skill but also for his poolside hobbies, knitting and crocheting.
He shares all of this, plus parenting content, funny trends, and collaborations with brands like Rimmel London, Adidas, and Casper, with his 1.5 million TikTok followers.
Daniella Ramirez is bringing Olympic-level ASMR content that gives an inside look at synchronized swimming.
Daniella Ramirez Team USA portrait.
Mike Coppola/Staff/Getty Images
If you've never heard of synchronized swimming, allow 22-year-old Daniella Ramirez to be your introduction.
Ramirez is a third-generation synchronized swimmer, following in the footsteps of her grandmother, mother, and sister, per Team USA. This summer, Ramirez and her teammates are representing USA Artistic Swimming at the Olympics — the first time the team has qualified since 2008.
While she shares behind-the-scenes looks at her life and partnerships with L'Oréal, she is best known on TikTok for her Knox ASMR content.
Knox is a brand of clear, flavorless gelatin that synchronized swimmers use to coat their hair to keep it perfectly intact during competitions. Her videos of putting on the substance and, more importantly, taking it off have garnered hundreds of millions of highly satisfying views from her 517K TikTok followers.
Veteran USA Volleyball player Erik Shoji has garnered 1.1 million TikTok followers.
Erik Shoji during the 2016 Olympics in Rio.
Tom Pennington/Staff/Getty Images
The veteran libero from Honolulu has gained a large following on TikTok sharing training highlights and behind-the-scenes looks at life as a professional athlete.
Shoji has been a member of the US Men's National Volleyball Team since 2013 and won a bronze medal during the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro, according to USA Volleyball.
He now plays professionally in Europe, where he's won two Champions League titles with the Polish team ZAKSA, as well as four Polish league trophies.
So far in Paris, he's reviewed the Olympic Village food, shown off his team's corn-hole battles, and shared his thoughts on feeling intimidated by the athletes around him.
Lina and Laviai Nielsen have documented their rise from 2012 Olympic volunteers to 2024 Olympians.
Lina Nielsen (L) and Laviai Nielsen (R) at the World Athletics Indoor Championships.
MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Twins Lina and Laviai Nielsen are British track-and-field athletes who compete in the 400-meter hurdles and 400-meter dash, respectively. Laviai is also competing in the 400-meter relay team at the Paris Olympics.
The sisters have a combined TikTok following of nearly 200,000 and more than 17,000 subscribers to their joint YouTube channel, "The Nielsen Twins." Together, they document their lives training and competing, as well as funny trend videos and partnerships with brands like Bulk.
Both Lina and Laviai have been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, and they hope to show others what they can achieve despite the disease.
"A lot of people assume MS automatically leads to disability, but it does not. For a lot of people living with MS, they can continue normal activity and exercise. If we can shine a light on that side, then it can start to change that narrative," Lina Nielsen told The Daily Mail in June 2024.
The name Simone Biles is synonymous with Olympic greatness.
Simone Biles at the 2024 Xfinity US Gymnastics Championships.
Elsa/Staff/Getty Images
And for good reason.
The 27-year-old from Columbus, Ohio, is a seven-time Olympic medalist with four gold, one silver, and two bronze; as well as a 30-time World Championships medalist with 23 gold, four silver, and three bronze, making her the most decorated gymnast of all time, per Olympics.com.
Before she left for Paris, she shared her "pre-Olympic prep" with her 2.1 million TikTok followers, which involved getting her hair and nails done. And now she's in Paris, she's keeping them updated with her dance moves, outfits, and snacking habits.
Another US gymnast, Frederick "Fred" Richard, has already scored a bronze medal.
Fred Richard celebrating his bronze medal win at the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in 2023.
Tim Clayton/Contributor/Corbis via Getty Images
In Paris, Fred Richard, 20, from Stoughton, Massachusetts, competed in the floor, parallel bars, and horizontal bar, helping Team USA win the bronze medal for the men's team competition — the team's first Olympic medal in 16 years — Team USA reported.
In 2023, Richard became the youngest individual world medalist in US history after finishing third in the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships, per USA Gymnastics, and he hasn't slowed down since.
He finished second overall at the 2024 Xfinity US Gymnastics Championships in June. He also placed first on the floor exercise and second on the high bar — his favorite event — per NBC Sports and USA Gymnastics.
Richard shared clips from the competition with his (now) 772.5K TikTok followers and is known for posting his training highlights and Olympic countdown videos. Now in Paris, he's been sharing glimpses of his Olympic outfits, videos of his performances, and epic views of the Eiffel Tower.
Long jumper Tara Davis-Woodhall is taking her followers along for the ride toward Olympic redemption.
Tara Davis-Woodhall Team USA portrait.
Mike Coppola/Staff/Getty Images
Long-jumper Tara Davis-Woodhall isn't new to the Olympics. The 25-year-old debuted in 2021 in Tokyo but finished the competition in a disappointing sixth place.
Now, she's ready for bigger and better — in March 2024, Davis-Woodhall won gold at the 2024 World Athletics Indoor Championships.
A month later, she told Olympics.com she feels "more joy" preparing for these Olympics than she did for Tokyo.
"Now, I'm living with my husband in Arkansas and we just enjoy life to the fullest. We have so much fun with everything that we do," Davis-Woodhall said.
She and her husband, Paralympian Hunter Woodhall, have established a large social media following across TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. They share their daily lives in Arkansas, training schedules, and other fun relationship insights.
Now in Paris, Davis-Woodhall has been sharing her excitement with her 365K TikTok followers.
Reigning all-around Olympic gold medalist Sunisa "Suni" Lee is also in Paris.
Sunisa Lee at the 2024 Xfinity US Gymnastics Championships.
Aric Becker/ISI Photos/Contributor/Getty Images
Lee made history at the Tokyo Olympics, becoming the first woman of Asian descent and the first Hmong-American to win the Olympic gymnastics all-around title. She also won a silver medal in the team event and a bronze for uneven bars.
Just last year, though, an Olympic return seemed uncertain as she dealt with a kidney disease that put her training on pause, she told Self in October 2023.
Lee made her return to elite competition at the Core Hydration Classic in August 2023 and qualified for the US Championships. There, she finished fourth overall — just 0.15 points behind third-place finisher Kayla DiCello — with a second-place finish on the balance beam and a fourth-place finish on uneven bars, NBC Sports reported.
With 1.8 million TikTok followers and counting watching her leotard reveals, get ready with me's, and partnerships with brands like Marriott, L'Oréal, and Amazon, all eyes are on the 21-year-old as she aims for another shot at Olympic gold.
Simone Biles and Jonathan Owens have been together for over four years.
Carmen Mandato/Getty Images
Simone Biles and Jonathan Owens have been together since March 2020, right before the pandemic.
The athletes first connected on social media, with Biles sliding into Owens' DMs.
They got married in April 2023 in a small ceremony before saying their vows again in Cabo that May.
Simone Biles, a four-time Olympic gold medalist, is looking to take home some more hardware at her third Summer Olympics in Paris this week — and her husband, NFL player Jonathan Owens, will be in the City of Light to watch the finals on July 30.
Biles and Owens have had some ups and downs in the public eye. During an episode of a podcast called "The Pivot" in December 2023, Owens was criticized by some after he said he had no idea who Biles was when they originally matched on Raya, a dating app, in 2020. He went to call himself "the catch" in their relationship.
Although Owens caught some flak, Biles supported her husband. She posted photos from their April 2023 wedding on Instagram and commented on Owens' post that their relationship is "for life."
Here's a closer look at their relationship over the past four years, from their first post on Instagram to now.
March 2020: They connect via social media and start hanging out
In March 2020, Biles was prepping for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, which were eventually postponed to 2021.
Craig Barritt/Getty Images for SK-II
According to a Texas Monthly profile in June 2021 of Owens, the two met right before COVID-19 shut down their sports.
"We ended up hanging out right before the pandemic," Owens said. "It was one of the few times in her life where everything was just shut off and she couldn't do anything. So we used it to get to know each other — really get to know each other. It created our bond and made it stronger. Now I'm so thankful."
Biles told The Wall Street Journal in July 2021 that the two met on Instagram, though later Owens claimed the two met on Raya, a dating app.
"He would say I slid into his DMs," she said. "I saw him and I was like, 'Oh, he's pretty cute,' so I said hi … and then I saw that he was in the Houston area, so we started chatting a little bit, and then we went to hang out a week or two later."
Owens added in the Texas Monthly profile that he'd noted Biles' 4 million — at the time — Instagram followers.
A few weeks later, according to Biles, her younger sister, Adria, saw they were talking on FaceTime, and stole her sister's phone to ask if Owens was coming to a family trip to their lake house. He accepted the invite and even brought his bulldog, Zeus.
August 2020: Biles debuts Owens on her Instagram
A post shared by Simone Biles (@simonebiles)
Biles posted a sweet photo of the pair for the first time on August 2. She captioned it, "It's just us," with a brown heart.
A few weeks later, she joked about her gymnastics prowess with a photo of the two captioned, "The only time I fall is when he's there to catch me."
A post shared by Simone Biles (@simonebiles)
According to The Wall Street Journal, Owens also began attending Biles family dinners every Sunday around this time.
September 2020: Owens posts about their relationship for the first time
A post shared by Jonathan Owens 🏈 (@jowens_3)
About a month later, on September 8, Owens posted about Biles on Instagram for the first time — a mirror selfie captioned, "Now you rockin with a real one."
December 2020: Biles spends Christmas with Owens' family and watches Owens play
A post shared by Jonathan Owens 🏈 (@jowens_3)
Owens shared a series of photos with Biles and his family in matching pajamas, captioned, "Always good to spend Christmas with the fam ❤️ Happy holidays to everyone."
Biles posted her own photo with Owens with the caption, "if santa ask, the elves did it! merry christmas."
A post shared by Simone Biles (@simonebiles)
Two days later, Biles posted about watching Owens play with the Texans before the couple celebrated the new year together.
February 2021: They celebrate Valentine's Day together with an elaborate setup
A post shared by Simone Biles (@simonebiles)
Biles and Owens both shared Instagram posts of their ornate decorations, complete with a giant "LOVE" sign, balloons, and rose petals.
March 2021: They travel to Belize to celebrate their anniversary and Biles' birthday
A post shared by Simone Biles (@simonebiles)
Biles, who holds dual citizenship in Belize, and Owens both posted about their vacation to the country, including this photo, captioned, "i love you more than i love Belize and thats a lot."
Owens posted later in the month for Biles' 24th birthday, complete with a Jay-Z quote.
A post shared by Jonathan Owens 🏈 (@jowens_3)
The following month, the couple took another trip, this time to Florida.
June 2021: Owens watches Biles compete for the first time at the US Gymnastics Championships
A post shared by Jonathan Owens 🏈 (@jowens_3)
Biles won her seventh national all-around title.
Owens told Texas Monthly that watching her compete in person was "unbelievable."
He added, "It's so amazing to watch. When I saw her for the first time, I realized that the TV really doesn't do it justice. When she goes out there and does it, it looks so effortless."
June 2021: Owens speaks about their relationship and says he 'didn't know who' Biles was at first
A post shared by Jonathan Owens 🏈 (@jowens_3)
During Owens' Texas Monthly interview, Owens added he didn't know who Biles was at first.
"I just hadn't heard of her, and when I told her that, that's one of the things she liked," he said.
He gushed about how their bulldogs get along, how amazing it was to see her compete, and why they get along so well.
"This was a match made in heaven," Owens said. "There's no better person for me. She loves me, she's so affectionate. I just love that. And it's just intoxicating seeing how much work she puts into everything."
Owens also spoke about how excited he was for Biles to compete in the Tokyo Olympics, which started in July 2021.
"It's gonna be amazing. I'll be nervous. I'll be like, 'Oh my God, oh my God,'" he said.
July 2021: After Biles experiences the 'twisties' and withdraws from 2 Olympic events, Owens shares his love on Instagram
"Imma ride with you through whatever baby," Owens wrote alongside a carousel of photos of the two of them. "Your strength and courage is unmatched and you inspire me more and more everyday SB. You always gone be my champ baby and don't you ever forget that, i love you so much and i can't wait till you come home and i get to see that beautiful smile again. You know I'm always here for you baby," he said.
Biles commented "I love you so much" with a heart and a fingers crossed emoji.
December 2021: Biles supports her boyfriend at his first NFL start
A post shared by Simone Biles (@simonebiles)
Biles was there to cheer on Owens during his first NFL start on December 12.
"GAME DAY!!!!" she wrote in an Instagram post of the couple. "#36 on the field #1 in my heart."
Then, on December 26, during a game against the Los Angeles Chargers, Owens made a key interception against quarterback Justin Herbert then added a fumble recovery. Biles was watching from the stands.
A post shared by Simone Biles (@simonebiles)
"I'm so proud of you, watching you get your first NFL interception & fumble recovery was a dream!" she wrote on Instagram. "all the hard work is paying off & this is just the beginning!"
February 2022: The couple reveals they're engaged
A post shared by Simone Biles (@simonebiles)
On Instagram on February 15, Biles shared a series on photos showing the proposal and her oval-cut diamond ring.
"THE EASIEST YES," Biles captioned the photos. "I can't wait to spend forever & ever with you, you're everything I dreamed of and more! let's get married FIANCÉ."
Owens, who also shared the photos on Instagram, commented on Biles' post, saying, "Ready for forever with you."
February 2023: Biles has a bachelorette party in Belize, while Owens celebrates in Punta Cana
Biles spoke with Vogue about her larger wedding. "We had to get married 'legally' here in the US since our wedding will be a destination wedding," Biles said. She walked down the aisle in a Galia Lahav gown.
"I actually felt so sick the entire day, and when it was almost time to walk, my heart was beating out of my chest," said Biles.
"I've never been so nervous before in my life. [But,] I felt confident walking down the aisle. Seeing Jonathan at the altar was a dream. Our guests were cheering for everyone. I was shocked by the love in the air. The ceremony was so beautiful and dreamy!"
May 12, 2023: Biles supports Owens as he gets traded to the Green Bay Packers
December 2023: Biles and Owens appear on 'The Pivot,' and Owens is later criticized for some of his comments
Owens and Biles attended a basketball game together.
Carmen Mandato/Getty Images
On an episode of "The Pivot," Owens recounted the beginning of his relationship with Biles, again stating that he didn't know who Biles, the most decorated gymnast in history, was when they matched on Raya.
"I'm like, 'Lemme see who this is.' I never really paid attention to gymnastics, so it piqued my curiosity," he said, while Biles laughed and rolled her eyes.
"I always say that the men are the catch," Owens continued.
While some criticized Owens' comments, Biles and Owens were unbothered. Biles posted an Instagram of the two captioned "mood," while Owens posted, "Unbothered. Just know we locked in over here."
March 2024: Owens is signed to the Chicago Bears, and Biles supports him once more
Soon after Owens was traded to the Bears, they attended a Chicago White Sox game.
Jamie Sabau/Getty Images
On March 13, Owens left the Packers and moved south to join the Chicago Bears on a two-year contract. Two days later, he made it Instagram official. His wife commented, "so proud of you baby! can't wait to see what this year holds! BEAR DOWN"
April 2024: Biles appears on 'Call Her Daddy' and shares that the backlash to Owens' comments 'really hurt'
Biles appeared on "Call Her Daddy," a podcast hosted by Alex Cooper, on April 17. They had a wide-ranging discussion about Biles' experiences with gymnastics, pulling out of the 2020 Olympics, and Owens' comments on "The Pivot."
"So, whenever he did that interview, I thought everything was OK. And then I go on Twitter, and everybody's like, 'Divorce this man, he's mean.' I'm like, 'He's the sweetest.' He praises the ground that I walk on. Truly, I've never met a man like him," she told Cooper. She added that she was there for the entire recording, and thought it had gone well at the time.
Biles also clarified that Owens called himself a catch "because he is," but never meant to imply Biles wasn't a catch.
"I thought it was hilarious at first, and then they hurt my feelings," she said. "One night, I broke down, and I'm like, 'Why are you guys talking about my husband like this?' You don't know him, you don't know who he is, and if anybody's met him, they know he's the sweetest guy and will do anything for anybody."
July 2024: Owens is able to miss a few days of pre-season training to watch Biles at the Paris Olympics
"It was something me and my agent talked about when we went in and I signed with the team," Owens told the AP. According to the outlet, he's missing five days of training camp to visit Paris.
"First-class organization. I just want to thank them so much even allowing me to go over and do that. I can't wait to be able to support her, and I know my family and my wife, she really appreciates it," he continued.
Chicago Bears coach Matt Eberflus was also supportive. "I think that's so cool that he gets to do that. We welcome that, and it's going to be awesome. Go, USA," he said.