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Host at an unprecedented time due to the coronavirus pandemic, the 2020 Summer Olympics (Tokyo 2020, held in 2021 and officially called the XXXII Olympics Games) will be remembered not only for the outstanding achievements of athletes, but also as one of the most -technologically developed games once hosted.
Cloud technology was used for the first time at the Olympics and as a technologist I am excited to see that cloud technology is playing an important role in the digital transformation of the Games. Cloud infrastructure has enabled innovative technology applications so that the Games can successfully overcome many of the obstacles posed by the pandemic, while creating a new foundation for how the Olympics – and other major sporting events – will be broadcast, organized and engaged with fans. in the future. Needless to say, we are already excited about the opportunities that cloud technology will unlock in future Olympics.
The biggest technological change from satellite transmission
As an example of how cloud technology is revolutionizing Tokyo 2020, we need to look at one of the most important components – the global broadcasting community, serving millions of viewers. Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS) produced more than 9,500 hours of in-game content, 30% more than in Rio 2016, and with some content in 8K for the first time. This year in Tokyo, when viewers were not allowed on the spot, the role of TV operators became even more important for the games and global fans.
Collaborating with OBS to support the provision of broadcasting rights holders (RHBs) for the first time, a stable and secure cloud platform called OBS Cloud has proposed new content delivery models to boost operational efficiency and more great flexibility. Working entirely in the cloud and demonstrating the tremendous flexibility that technology offers, OBS Cloud is designed to drive a real transformation in the media industry and prepare it for all the opportunities provided by the digital age.
As the pandemic prevented fans from attending the games, it was imperative that broadcasters worldwide have access to high-quality content that could be distributed across multiple platforms to share the drama and emotions of the games. To this end, during Tokyo 2020, the OBS Content + team produced up to 9,000 videos with short content in order to improve RHB coverage. The videos can be accessed by RHB’s digital and social media teams from anywhere in the world to complement their own Olympic coverage. This technology has enabled TV operators to cover the Games in a more cost-effective, secure and flexible way from anywhere in the world, providing a constant and consistent flow of content through the Games, to the delight of millions of hungry fans for a piece of the action!
It is easy to see why this broadcast development excited Yiannis Exarchos, CEO of OBS. According to him, the partnership with Alibaba Cloud changed the way the Olympic Games were broadcast to the widest possible audience. He argues that this is “the biggest technological change in the radio and television industry in more than half a century since the introduction of satellite broadcasting.” This is a remarkable landmark, given that the satellite broadcast was first introduced in the Olympic broadcast in 1964.
Also used as part of the post-production workflow, OBS uses the Content + platform to remotely edit and convert standards, a feature that will be extended as a service to RHBs for future Olympics.
Protected from the cloud – ensuring the safety of staff
Of course, event organizers and staff are essential to the Games, and Tokyo 2020 has provided them with their own challenges due to the extreme summer heat. To illustrate the risks facing the Games workers, more than 8,000 people in Japan have been taken to hospitals suffering from heat stroke symptoms between July 19 and 25 this year, while Tokyo 2020 officially kicks off on July 23.
I believe that technology can help to respond effectively to critical situations like this. That’s why we’ve introduced a cloud solution to help reduce the risk of heat stroke for weather-exposed workers. Through an intelligent ear device, the technology helped monitor employees’ body temperature and heart rate. Based on this information and the surrounding heat index (including temperature, humidity and direct or radiant sunlight), the cloud system identifies the level of risk of heat stroke in real time. The alerts were then sent to high-risk personnel, along with recommended precautions – such as drinking more water – to reduce the chances of heat stroke.
The innovation, which was well received by Hidemasa Nakamura, head of the Tokyo Organizing Committee’s Center for Basic Operations for the Olympic and Paralympic Games (TOCOG). Perhaps more importantly, he was well received by the Games workers; It turned out that Tokyo 2020 is one of the hottest Olympic Games in history.
Current engagement with fans
Unfortunately, the pandemic prevented global fans from attending the games. But technology can always play a positive role in tackling challenges. Last year, we spent a lot of time working with TOCOG on a digital remote engagement program for fans called “Share the Passion.” Using cloud technology and digital editing technology, this fantastic project has encouraged sports fans around the world to support their favorite teams and athletes on a more personal level, wherever the fan or team is. It takes advantage of AI-driven technology to summarize real-time videos uploaded by fans on social media platforms and broadcast them in places to deliver cheers, support and motivation to athletes. You can imagine the excitement that this innovative solution has provided, while emitting high-energy, positive vibes among both fans and athletes, with the cheers of the audience filling the arena.
The connection is irreplaceable and the Olympic Games are one of the best examples of connectivity between fans and athletes, different generations and sports communities abroad. Adhering to this value, we created our first Cloud Pin, a cloud-based digital pin designed for broadcasting and media professionals working tirelessly to cover the Games for all of us. The wearable digital device allows contactless exchange of information and is designed to help media professionals working at the International Broadcasting Center and the Central Press Center to connect with each other and exchange handles on social media in a safe and interactive way. Worn as a badge or attached to a strap, it combines with the convention of exchanging contact data with real-time cloud-based convenience.
Other exciting initiatives further encouraged the participation of fans and the audience. For example, the IOC launched The Olympic Store on Alibaba Tmall’s e-commerce platform. As well as being a global store for fans looking for official Olympic-branded goods, it also acts as an information portal that helps fans keep up to date with all the latest Olympic news and information. This is a place where retail and commerce merge to further delight sports fans, while taking games into a new era of fan participation.
Unlocking the full potential of athletes
Other beneficiaries of cloud technology – and many would say the most important – are the athletes themselves, through a technology called 3D Athlete Tracking (3DAT).
In collaboration with Intel, 3DAT gives the audience a professional idea of how athletes perform when this happens. Without the need for motion sensors, 3DAT uses standard video, AI and computer vision to extract more than 20 3D points in the athlete’s body, turning this data into rich visualizations to improve storytelling for key events.
We expect even more exciting sports experiences
During our first Summer Olympics, we are happy to take our sponsorship to a new level that goes beyond the traditional trade package. For us, it is an outstanding global partner for cloud services, and we are honored to provide a new cloud-based foundation for how the Games broadcast and operate in many ways. In the same way, we believe that the cloud will play an important role in transforming the experience of how big sporting events will be broadcast, organized and shared with fans in the future. We are proud of the role we have played to help Tokyo 2020 reshape the sports and television industry in an unprecedented way. And we don’t stop there; Tokyo 2020 was just the beginning of the digitalization of the Olympic Games.
This content is produced by Alibaba Cloud. Not written by the MIT Technology Review.
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