NBC Sports has announced strategic technology partnerships with Sony Electronics and Cisco, designed to enhance its broadcast of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Sony Electronics will contribute innovative broadcast technology solutions and on-site production support. NBC Sports plans to deploy nearly 100 cameras across Paris, ensuring viewers in the United States experience the excitement of the Games through various camera types, including studio, full-frame, Pan-Tilt-Zoom (PTZ), and Point-of-View (POV) cameras. Additionally, more than 400 4K HDR monitors will be used for live grading, studio, and location monitoring.
"For the Paris Olympics, NBC Sports has planned extensive behind-the-scenes and intimate storytelling through technology," stated Darryl Jefferson, Senior Vice President, Engineering & Technology, NBC Sports & Olympics. "This includes using cinematic style cameras and robotic and PTZ cameras in new applications throughout our production. NBC's wholesale pivot to a mezzanine HDR at every Olympic venue has been built on the continued partnership with Sony."
Neal Manowitz, President and COO of Sony Electronics, expressed enthusiasm about the collaboration: "Sony Electronics' solutions continue to power memorable sports moments. We're honored to expand our partnership with NBC Sports to elevate NBCU's presentation of this influential global event through cutting-edge technologies."
Cisco will provide networking technology for NBC Sports' all-IP production, deploying Cisco's IP Fabric for Media at the International Broadcast Center (IBC) in Paris. This technology will enable secure and efficient delivery of 4K and 8K content to U.S. viewers, along with new mobility and wireless technologies for a closer viewer experience.
"NBC Sports is deploying a distributed-production infrastructure four times larger than any previous Olympics in Paris," said Cliff Ryan, VP of Network Engineering at NBC. "Cisco's high-performance Service Provider and Media Fabric infrastructure is pivotal in supporting this massive change in Olympic production."
NBC Sports' partnerships with Sony Electronics and Cisco are built on decades of collaboration, having worked together on previous Olympic Games and major international sports events across North America, Europe, South America, and Asia.
NBCUniversal's coverage of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 will feature multi-platform offerings across NBC, Peacock, USA Network, E!, CNBC, GOLF Channel, Spanish-language networks Telemundo and Universo, NBCOlympics.com, and the NBC Sports app. NBC will provide at least nine hours of daytime coverage daily, including live finals. Peacock will serve as the streaming home, offering live coverage of every sport and event, including all 329 medal events.
The Opening Ceremony will air on Friday, July 26, live on NBC and Peacock, with a primetime broadcast to follow. NBCUniversal will cover its 19th Olympic Games, 12th consecutive overall, and holds U.S. media rights to all Olympic Games through 2032. The Paralympics will be held from August 28 to September 8, 2024.