The 2024 Many viewers were able to enjoy the Summer Olympics of Paris in 5G and with 4K. AI was used, mostly for the athletes. The 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Games There will be more tech than ever before, both for athletes and fans.
Yiannis Excarchos, managing director Olympic Broadcasting Services, and executive director Olympic Channel Services, said that many of these technologies had never before been used in the Games. These two organisations are responsible for much of the coverage on television, radio, digital, and Olympics.com. “In Milano Cortina, people will have unprecedented experiences,” Exarchos says.
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New Technologies for the Winter Olympics in 2026
Drone views of athlete performances
The first-person views, or FPV drones, will be a big part of the Milano Cortina Olympics. The radio-controlled planes are able to transmit real-time images taken by their onboard camera. “offer dynamic perspectives on the race tracks,” Exarchos explains.
In addition, this year’s Games are the first ones to provide 360-degree replay in real time. As part of Alibaba’s collaboration, this system offers multi-camera real-time replays and stoboscopic analyses to produce multi-angle, frozen frames, and slower-motion views of the athletes’ amazing moves.
The new tracker system is another first. curling stones. “It will be possible to view the path, speed, and rotation of each stone in real time,” Exarchos explains. Views from the suspended rail camera and at ice level will make it easier for viewers to understand what is going on, along with detailed graphics of stone trajectory and real-time information.
Olympic GPT, the New AI Tool of The Olympics
Have a question regarding the Games of this year? Olympic GPT can help. This bot is specialized in creating content for the Olympics.com site. The bot will provide real-time information and results on sports regulations. It can also interact with users to ask questions regarding the current results of competitions.
“Artificial-intelligence-based article summaries on Olympics.com will give fans a quick and clear overview,” Exarchos says. “They highlight key points to help users decide what to explore further, while also improving accessibility and reading from mobile devices.”
Virtual Video Production
Cloud computing will play a major role in video production for the Winter Olympic Games of 2026. Virtual outside broadcasting vehicles (OB vans) are helping to decentralize images being sent from events directly to the screens of fans. The use of virtual cloud infrastructure reduces energy consumption to about 50 percent, according to organizers, and allows remote production at events like speed skating and curling.
The cloud-based Master Control Room was tested in Saudi Arabia at the Dakar Rally back in January. Space was saved by 75 percent compared to the previous championship and energy consumption dropped 65 percent.
Big Data Moment at the Olympics
Olympic Broadcasting Services, which is responsible for the broadcasting of this year’s Winter Games, has also developed an automated description system to aid teams with managing all the video footage that comes in during live events. “Artificial intelligence breaks down broadcasts into searchable clips, suggests shot descriptions and keywords, and helps users quickly find highlights, making storytelling faster and easier,” Exarchos. AI then analyses real-time traffic spikes and identifies the most valuable moment for fans on Olympics.com.
Original publication: This article appeared originally in WIRED Italia. The original language is Italian.
