Olympic broadcaster vows to make Beijing 2022 most tech-driven ever

Photo taken on Feb. 26, 2019 shows the first World Broadcaster Briefing (WBB) for Beijing 2022 in Beijing, capital of China, on Feb. 26, 2019. (Xinhua/Xu Zijian)

Olympic Broadcast Services (OBS) will adopt cutting-edge technologies to make the 2022 Beijing Winter Games more tech-driven than any previous Games, head of the OBS told Xinhua during the first World Broadcaster Briefing (WBB) for Beijing 2022 held this week.

Having worked in Beijing for more than three years for the 2008 Summer Olympics, Yiannis Exarchos was not surprised by the advanced preparations of Beijing 2022.

"I'm absolutely confident that Beijing and China will deliver once again, as they did in 2008, a Games of extremely high quality," the OBS CEO said.

"But this could put on some additional responsibilities upon all of us. We have an additional obligation to make sure that the Winter Games of Beijing will be better, more sustainable, more innovative than any previous Olympic Games. Beijing 2022 promises to be the most tech-driven Games."

The 2008 Olympics reached a total of 4.6 billion audience through television and digital platforms as OBS provided a record 5,000 hours of live HD content and in 2022, OBS wants to showcase Beijing in a different way.

"As Beijing 2008 showcased the emerging of China in the international stage, I think now, through the Games of 2022, China will reaffirm as one of the key leaders of the world in terms of innovation," Exarchos said.

OBS will adopt technologies like 4K, 8K and virtual reality with expectations to "experiment with artificial intelligence (AI) to provide an additional level of experiencing".

Among these technologies, Exarchos believes that 5G technology will have a catalytic effect.

OBS is developing the cloud technology, a 5G network, together with Olympic Worldwide Top Partner Alibaba Group to allow broadcasters to work more efficiently and viewers to enjoy more personalized programs.

Instead of bringing all broadcasting equipments to the host city, broadcasters can edit the contents everywhere under the cloud.

"We believe the technology would be a big benefit to broadcasters, users and organizers, because we release the pressure of the host city," said Exarchos. "Tokyo 2020 will be the opportunity to introduce it. Beijing 2022 will probably be the time when the technology will be massively adopted and embraced by broadcasters."

A total of 101 representatives from worldwide Olympic rights-Holding broadcasters came to the capital of China to get the first-hand updates of the Games' preparations.

"A few days ago we celebrated one year from PyeongChang 2018. That means we are three years away from Beijing 2022. It's the right time to start turning the attention of the world to the Games of Beijing," Exarchos said.

"The purpose of the meeting is to brief the representatives about the level of preparations of the Games... and also advise them on our initial plan for the coverage of Beijing 2022. Their interests are extremely high to see what China and Beijing have installed for the Winter Games of 2022," he added.

On Monday, the WBB attendants visited venues including the National Stadium known as Birds' Nest, most of which are legacies of the 2008 Games and under reconstruction for the Winter Olympics.