The City of Light welcomed more than a million athletes, celebrities and brands from around the world to those Summer Olympics. At a time when AI and physical-digital connectivity are a priority in global business, Paris 2024 had the prospect of being the moment when the most modern technologies could come to life to make the organizing committee’s theme a reality: “Open games. “
However, in consultations with brands and marketers, the feeling was that emerging technologies were conspicuously absent from this summer’s Paris Olympics. So why haven’t we noticed more tech innovation in this month’s games?
Speaking to Fabien Arneodo, CEO of SportSyncTech, it was summarised into three key categories that the International Olympic Committee and the Paris 2024 Organising Committee could prioritise to share emerging technologies with the audience at home and in person: safety, athletes and media.
Using those categories as a guide, let’s explore how emerging technologies have been incorporated and what opportunities remain for entertainment occasions in the future.
As NBCU negotiates savvy partnerships with pop culture-savvy celebrities, with Snoop Dogg serving as NBC’s highly acclaimed, cross-generational fan special Olympics correspondent, a quiet victory for this media organization was achieved through AI.
NBCUniversal won the share of live political media available in North American markets, regardless of time zones. Caroline Giegerich, vice president of innovation at Warner Music Group, said the company “deserves its own medal for all the strategy and planning that went into it. ” to determine this lineup. ” NBCU also brought in Oli, which they explained as “an AI-powered logical formula that helps audiences know when, where and how to watch their favorite events live and formulates NBCU’s policy for the Olympics. ” of Paris 2024. “
Digiday senior reporter Marty Swant noted that tech corporations such as Microsoft, Google, Intel and Alibaba have announced Olympic advertising campaigns, paid media and sponsorship deals “to help commercialize artificial intelligence products and services. ” Google has brought its cachet as the “Official AI Search Partner of Team USA,” according to Digiday, which is likely the first of its kind.
With artificial intelligence and immersive entertainment on stage, the media has made its mark on this summer’s games.
PARIS, FRANCE – JULY 26: A police officer stops the American enthusiasts from taking Array. Images)
In Paris, the week before the games, there was “an anti-terrorist zone [where you could] circulate by any means without having to present a QR code, either on your mobile phone or on paper” closer to the stadium. opening ceremony, reports Le Monde.
However, any technological invention that this Games Pass-related code might have heralded was overshadowed by a general feeling of confusion on the part of tourists and locals.
In other spaces of ticketing and security optimization, although there were rumors early on following advice from the French government’s envoy for the Olympics, Michel Cadot, that tickets for Paris 2024 would be sold as NFTs, arguing that ” the blockchain generation is more secure than classic ticketing systems”, this did not happen. This does not seem to materialize the real facts.
However, innovation in the retail ecosystem provided a gateway to the Games for enthusiasts from around the world and local Parisian small businesses. Visa has created a customized payment network across Paris that prioritizes contactless invoices in more than 3,500 sales issuances at Games venues. Charlotte Hogg, chief executive of Visa Europe, said she has noticed an “increase in spending through French small businesses after we helped thirteen million of them go digital over the past four years in Europe and connected them with the audience through the Visa Go app. “
Although it is too early to report fraudulent transactions, as Hogg represents, the move of local businesses to a virtual payment formula and the arrival of frictionless cash register tenants is indeed an achievement that will leave an experiential effect long after departure. of athletes and supporters of Paris 2024. nations of origin.
PARIS, FRANCE – JULY 21: Chinese divers Chen Yuxi (right) and Chen Yiwen shop for souvenirs at aArray. [ ] souvenir shop inside the Olympic Village on July 21, 2024 in Paris, France. (Photo via Zhao Wenyu/China News Service/VCG Getty Images)
Established and emerging athletes are increasingly aware of their own personal logo, and there are few milestones like the Olympics that attract endorsements, product integration moments and logo campaigns.
With pin swapping fueling much of the excitement among athletes and enthusiasts in Paris, nWay, part of Animoca’s circle of brand family, has unveiled its exclusive NFT virtual pins for the Paris 2024 Olympics mascot. Jesse Pollak, author of Base, said the drop offers “a piece of Olympic history that shows the perspective of the chain generation to bring brands closer to their enthusiasts. “
French IT company Atoz, a supplier of Olympic generation since 1989, discussed elements of accreditation, results, registrations and voting from the IOC Athletes’ Commission for Paris 2024. There were some rumors before the Games that similar technological inventions such as Blockchain, NFT medals and custom videos that Atoz shared at the European Games may have just emerged, but this did not appear to materialize at Paris 2024.
PARIS, FRANCE – AUGUST 11: (Editor’s note: The symbol was captured using a robotic camera located on the playing field. )A general view of the interior of the stadium as Thomas Bach, president of the International Olympic Committee, recognizes the crowd at the closing ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Stade de France on August 11, 2024 in Paris, France. (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)
Also missing were an Apple Vision Pro headset or a Meta gateway to Paris 2024, which may have been an incredible link to the events of Lady Gaga and Celine Dion’s opening rite, or Tom Cruise’s finale. Not to mention virtual twins, holograms and gamification. The athletes we could bring into our homes to participate in VR or XR games were non-existent.
With the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, there is a chance for another city, largely rooted in fame and entertainment, to celebrate the developing connection between athletes and technology.
While brands, athletes, and fans, plus an iconic city, have translated into impactful media politics and fan engagement, this year’s Summer Olympics would not possibly be touted as a feat of the emerging generation. With the International Olympic Committee announcing a partnership with Saudi Arabia to bring the Esports Olympics come to life, the long run is really bright. And it’s up to creators to help motivate how elements of virtual games and emerging technologies are incorporated into the advances in media, safety, and athletics demonstrated at these Olympic Games. I’ve been to several in-person events in the not-too-distant future.
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