The 2024 Paris Olympics is ushering in an AI-powered revolution in broadcasting and fan engagement. With the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS) leading the charge, advanced AI technologies are set to redefine how audiences experience the Games.
Here in Part 1 of NAB Amplify’s deep dive into the use of artificial intelligence at the 2024 Paris Games, we explore how AI innovations are reshaping Olympic broadcasting and storytelling, offering fans immersive and engaging experiences that transcend traditional viewing. (Read Part 2, “Enhancing the Olympic Experience for Fans,” delving into how AI is enhancing fan interactions, improving accessibility, and creating immersive experiences both on-site and online.)
Underpinning this transformation is the IOC’s Olympic AI Agenda, a strategic framework developed with consultancy Deloitte to integrate AI into the Olympic ecosystem. This initiative, launched in April 2024, is the third in a series of strategic documents following the Olympic Agenda 2020 and Olympic Agenda 2020+5. It aims to revolutionize the Games by supporting athletes, ensuring equal access, optimizing operations, growing engagement, and driving efficiency.
READ MORE: IOC takes the lead for the Olympic Movement and launches Olympic AI Agenda (IOC)
“In 98 days, OBS will produce more than 11,000 hours of content,” OBS head Yiannis Exarchos said in April during a presentation of the Olympic AI Agenda, underscoring the immense challenge the Games presented. “That’s more than 450 days of content, which will translate into more than half a million hours of television and digital coverage across the globe. This is how much our media partners will broadcast. Considering that approximately half of the world’s population will watch these Games, the scale and complexity are unlike anything else in broadcasting.”
The presentation also featured Olympians from a range of sports alongside industry execs including NBC Olympics Production president and executive producer Molly Solomon, Intel’s Christoph Schell, and Andrew Georgiou, president and managing director for the UK & Ireland and Sports Europe at Warner Bros. Discovery.
AI, they said, is transforming Olympic broadcasting by enabling unprecedented immersive and personalized experiences. Key innovations include automatic highlights generation and 8K livestreaming, which provides high-definition, low-latency viewing. As these technologies unfold, they not only enrich the current Olympic experience but also pave the way for future innovations in sports media.
“In an expanding an increasingly competitive and fragmented media environment, storytelling, engagement and efficiencies are very important,” said Exarchos, “and AI has the power to deliver new innovative ways of experiencing the Games.”
Intel Powers AI Innovations in Broadcasting
Intel is playing a crucial role in enhancing the broadcasting of the Paris 2024 Olympics. A longtime partner of the IOC, Intel has already helped accelerate the adoption of 5G, VR, drone and AI technology for an enhanced Olympic experience. This year, AI will be at the forefront. As the Official AI Platform Partner for Paris 2024, Intel will introduce an array of innovative AI experiences to help transform the Olympic experience for fans, organizers, athletes and viewers across the globe.
Powered by Intel hardware and software, AI will be used for auto-clipping content and tagging descriptive metadata. This technology will provide transcriptions and translations of interviews, aiding journalists in finding relevant content. Additionally, it will offer real-time captions and subtitles for live coverage. Data gathered from various biometric and other sensors deployed throughout the event will be processed to provide viewers with unprecedented information, often in real time.
One key innovation OBS is introducing for Paris 2024 is the Automatic Highlights Generation system. Powered by Intel’s computer vision AI platform Geti, the highlight generation system leverages machine learning models trained on vast datasets of previous Olympic footage.
These models can recognize patterns and significant events, such as record-breaking performances or dramatic finishes, ensuring that fans receive the most exciting content without delay.
The AI-driven system can create tailored highlights across multiple disciplines and distribute them to fans instantly, significantly improving production and editing efficiency, and enabling broadcasters to deliver more customized digital content faster than ever before.
Another significant contribution is the introduction of 8K livestreaming. “For the first time at the Olympic Games, Intel Xeon processors will be used to showcase an end-to-end 8K livestreaming experience, providing a visible pathway for the future of low-latency, 8K resolution livestreaming over the internet,” noted Sarah Vickers, head of Intel’s Olympic and Paralympic Games Office.
READ MORE: Intel unveils AI-Platform Innovation for Paris 2024 (IOC)
The high-definition, low-latency streams are a significant leap forward from the traditional 4K broadcasts, offering four times the resolution of Ultra HD 4K and setting a new standard for broadcast quality.
The 8K livestreaming setup involves sophisticated encoding and compression techniques that ensure the high-resolution content can be delivered smoothly over the internet. This technology not only enhances the visual quality but also allows for more interactive features, such as multi-angle views and real-time statistics, enriching the overall broadcast experience.
READ MORE: What the 8K OTT Tests at the Olympics Signal to Broadcasters
AI-Enhanced Storytelling and Engagement
Storytelling has always been one of the most important aspects of the Olympics. Throughout their history, the Games have generated unforgettable moments, evoking powerful emotions and captivating audiences worldwide. Now, beyond providing production efficiencies, AI is also transforming the storytelling aspect of Olympic broadcasts.
But humans remain a vital part of the production process, Exarchos is quick to reassure. “The Olympics stories should be told by expert creators who have the knowledge and passion to bring them to life, assisted by AI applications that will further unlock their creativity,” he says.
“I’m a storyteller by trade, and our mission is to continue to innovate in order to tell more compelling stories about the athletes and the Olympic Games,” Solomon adds. “AI can enrich our presentation through data analysis, with graphics and enhanced video, personalization and predictive analysis.
“It can also help navigate the plethora of content the Olympic Games provide, connecting fans with the events and athletes they love, which will result in deeper engagement and spending more time on our platforms.”
For example, AI can analyze an athlete’s historical performance data, training regimes, and social media presence to generate detailed profiles. This helps build a stronger connection between the audience and the athletes. Automatic highlights generation can identify and compile key moments from various sports, ensuring that viewers see the most exciting and impactful events.
Technologies like Intel’s Geti platform and AI Deep Learning Boost play a crucial role in these processes, providing the tools necessary for real-time data analysis and content creation.
Personalized content tailored to viewer preferences keeps fans more connected to the events and athletes they love, while predictive analysis helps anticipate and highlight the most exciting moments, ensuring viewers don’t miss out on any of the action.
“The Olympic Games always provide a major opportunity to showcase new technologies, with Paris 2024 set to demonstrate the power of AI innovation on a global stage,” said Vickers. “The new advancements in AI at Paris 2024 are likely to set trends for how AI is used in sport and other industries worldwide for years to come.”
Be sure to check out Part 2 of NAB Amplify’s deep dive into AI at the 2024 Paris Games, “AI at the 2024 Paris Games: Delivering a New Olympics Experience for Fans,” delving into how AI is enhancing fan interactions, improving accessibility, and creating immersive experiences both on-site and online.
READ MORE: AI at the 2024 Paris Games: Delivering a New Olympics Experience for Fans
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