Google to bring AI-integrated Olympics coverage to NBCU as first tech sponsor of Team USA

The partnership is designed to showcase athletes’ stories and bolster NBCU’s coverage of the event with Google’s technology. The tech giant will work with NBCU to integrate AI-powered features into the coverage of the Paris Games, using Google Search, Gemini and Google Maps Platform to enhance viewers’ experience.

Sarah Hirshland, CEO of the US Olympic & Paralympic Committee, expressed enthusiasm about the partnership, emphasizing its potential to bring athlete stories to life through advanced technology: “This collaboration is more than just a sponsorship; it’s a powerful alliance that brings together the best of technology and sports. By working with Google and NBCUniversal, we are ensuring that our athletes’ stories are told in the most dynamic and engaging ways possible.”

The collaboration will involve a handful of AI integrations across channels and kinds of coverage. With ‘Explain the Games,’ Google AI Overviews – AI-generated blurbs that appear atop search results – will help viewers better understand the ins and outs of the Olympics, like clarifying the rules of certain events. The tool will be used by NBCU’s production team and commentators during coverage and will extend to social platforms.

Fans will also be invited to join comedian Leslie Jones – who’s been assigned ‘chief superfan commentator’ for NBCU – explore Gemini, Google’s AI chatbot, to dig into all things Olympics and sports. Content from the series will be distributed on NBCU networks and will stream on Peacock.

Google and NBCU will also use Google Lens, Circle to Search, Immersive View in Google Maps and Gemini to help viewers discover the city of Paris, home to the 2024 Games. With ‘One Day in Paris,’ Google and NBCU viewers can follow five Olympians and Paralympians as they wander through the City of Light and check out landmarks like the Eiffel Tower and the Roland Garros Stadium. Social videos will promote the content.

Finally, NBCU’s audience will be able to get immersive views of Olympic venues like Versailles and the Aquatics Centre, thanks to Google Maps Platform’s Photorealistic 3D Tiles, which enable viewers to get up-close-and-personal with 3D experiences.

The collaboration, said Marvin Chow, Google’s vice-president of marketing, “provides an incredible stage to demonstrate how Google’s everyday products, like Search and Maps, along with innovations like Gemini, can help fans explore, learn, and connect with the Games.”

The president of Olympic and Paralympic partnerships at NBCUniversal, Dan Lovinger, highlighted the potential of the new partnership. “This collaboration combines innovative technology with premium content to elevate the viewing experience for fans of all ages,” he said.

NBCU is leaning into AI to enhance its Olympics coverage in more ways than one. Last month, the company announced that it will use an AI-generated version of the voice of Al Michaels, the iconic American sports commentator, to produce personalized Olympic recaps exclusively for Peacock subscribers.

NBCU, which holds US media rights to the Olympic Games until 2032, will use its broadcast network and streaming service Peacock as primary platforms for the Paris 2024 coverage, scheduled from July 26 to August 11.

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