NBCUniversal is implementing advanced AI technology for the U.S. broadcast of the Paris Olympics, offering a unique viewing experience compared to European broadcasts.
The company, part of Comcast, will use AI to recreate the voice of a legendary sportscaster, enhancing the coverage on NBC and its streaming platform, Peacock. This initiative is part of a partnership with Team USA and Google, designed to deliver an immersive experience.
- AI-enhanced Google Map images of Olympic venues will provide detailed views of Paris.
- NBC hosts will demonstrate how Google AI can answer real-time questions about the competitions.
NBCUniversal is also using generative AI to create personalized daily briefings of Olympic events. These briefings will be narrated by an AI-generated version of Al Michaels‘ voice, offering up to seven million unique variations throughout the Games. This comprehensive use of AI is part of NBCUniversal’s $7.65 billion deal, the largest global broadcast rights agreement, which secures the company’s coverage of the Olympics until 2032.
The Olympic Broadcasting Services, which provides neutral coverage for media companies worldwide, also utilizes AI to quickly edit large volumes of footage into short highlights. However, they remain cautious about the potential misuse of AI, such as deepfakes and altering reality.
Cautious Adoption of AI by Warner Bros. Discovery
In contrast, Warner Bros. Discovery’s sports division in Europe is taking a different approach, opting not to use AI for live sports commentary during the Paris Olympics.
According to Scott Young, Senior Vice President at Warner Bros. Discovery Sports Europe, the current AI technology lacks the emotional nuance needed for high-energy sports moments. He highlighted the example of Italian sprinter Marcell Jacobs’ surprising gold medal win in the men’s 100 meters at the Tokyo Olympics, where the passionate reactions of Italian commentators captured the event’s intensity.
Young noted that while AI can translate words accurately, it struggles to convey the genuine emotions experienced during such moments.
Warner Bros. Discovery, which will stream the Games across Europe on its Max and discovery+ platforms, received demonstrations from tech companies showing how AI could translate speech into different languages. However, these demos did not capture the emotional essence required for live sports commentary. Young emphasized that the company is cautious about integrating AI for such critical roles until the technology can fully replicate the excitement and emotion of live broadcasts.
Young suggested that the future of AI in sports broadcasting could evolve by the next Summer Games, the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, indicating that European audiences might see more AI-driven solutions as the technology advances.
Featured Image courtesy of BENOIT TESSIER/REUTERS
Follow us for more tech news updates.