The Paris Olympics will highlight the use of generative AI for American viewers, while European audiences won’t see a similar technological integration. This difference showcases how global media companies are approaching the technology.
Comcast’s NBCUniversal is incorporating AI into its U.S. coverage of the Games, including re-creating the voice of legendary sportscaster Al Michaels. In contrast, Warner Bros. Discovery‘s sports division in Europe finds the technology still too early for roles like sports commentating.
Warner Bros. Discovery, which will stream the Games on its Max and discovery+ platforms across Europe, has explored demos from tech companies to translate speech into various languages. However, these demos have struggled to capture the excitement of live sports moments, according to Scott Young, Senior Vice President at Warner Bros. Discovery Sports Europe.
Young noted that during exciting moments, such as Italian sprinter Marcell Jacobs’ gold medal win in the men’s 100 meters in Tokyo, the emotion in the commentators’ voices was evident. He explained that it’s challenging to replicate that emotion automatically.
U.S. audiences will experience AI through NBC’s coverage and the Peacock streaming service, thanks to a partnership between NBCUniversal, Google, and Team USA. AI-enhanced Google Map images of the Olympic venues will provide viewers with a feel of Paris. NBC hosts will also demonstrate how Google AI search can answer questions about the competitions.
NBCUniversal plans to use generative AI to create personalized daily briefings of Olympic events, narrated by an AI recreation of Al Michaels’ voice. The company estimates that almost seven million different variations of these daily recaps could be produced throughout the Paris Olympics.
| Region | AI Features | Companies Involved |
|---|---|---|
| United States | AI-generated voice of Al Michaels, AI-enhanced Google Map images, personalized daily briefings | NBCUniversal, Google, Team USA |
| Europe | Limited AI use, exploring translation demos but not yet integrating into sports commentating | Warner Bros. Discovery |
The Olympic Broadcasting Services, responsible for providing neutral coverage worldwide, is also utilizing AI to quickly create highlights from vast amounts of footage. However, they remain cautious about the risks of deepfakes and altering reality.
With rapid advancements in AI, European sports fans might soon see more of this technology in future broadcasts. The next Summer Games will be held in Los Angeles in 2028.
Featured Image courtesy of Le Monde