Tokyo Olympics 2021 Technology Connects The World

The vast majority of people will be watching the Olympics remotely this year and audience viewers who will be streaming the upcoming Tokyo Olympic Games need not fret about missing any of the small details at this year’s Summer Olympic Games. Networks such as NBC and sponsors are expecting strong participation in the ball park of 5 Billion viewers resulting in a gigantic growth of engagement in online viewership this year. Especially after spectators have been banned entry into the Olympic arenas and all 339 Olympic events. This is due to Japan’s current COVID 19 state of emergency and also means the investment in various purpose-built buildings will now be occupied solely by the athletes, alongside coaches and judges.

The Tokyo Summer Olympics are scheduled to begin in Tokyo on July 23rd. The IOC-owned Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS) promises unprecedented coverage of this year’s Tokyo Summer Olympic Games. For those tuning in digitally, this is something of a historic event and is a truly remarkable Olympic Games. A vast amount of preparation and investment in technological  advancements the Tokyo committee, partners and the brands have implemented will offer virtual spectators a revolutionary experience in remote live sport viewing. This is something remarkable, unlike anything we have experience before. And hopefully fills the gap felt in lack of live fan participation.

OBS Impressive UHD HDR Production

Olympic Broadcast Systems impressive  UHD HDR production taking place at this years Games is first of it’s kind. Expect a fully enhanced natively equipped production including 5.1.4 immersive audio. With 31 of the OBS vans upgrading their systems and 22 fly-away systems being outfitted with UHD HDR technology, OBS can be confident of the complete coverage needed for all 42 Olympic competition venues. Only the coverage of the seven outside Tennis courts will remain in HD.

5.1 Audio Upgrades for a Realistic Audio Experience

OBS offers viewers a more realistic audio experience by installing 3,600 microphones and integrating an audio upgrade to a standard 5.1.4 configuration while also adding an overhead with hanging ceiling microphones specifically designed for immersive sound production. Also worth mentioning is that here in the USA, Youtube has added 4k packages and 5.1 adorably audio to the Youtube streaming TV bundle. This is in anticipation for the Olympics and due to the high demand from current Youtube subscribers for 5.1 Audio.

Fan Engagement at The Olympics

The Olympics are planning for an increase of online fan engagement from the Games partners including Airbnb, Coca-Cola, Samsung and Intel offering virtual activations, interactive fan zones, trivia competitions, and fantasy league challenges. We can also expect NBC to utilize social media to engage with fans and stimulate interaction. And in the USA, NBC is planning to break a world record by airing more than 7,000 hours of coverage across TV and digital platforms.

Tokyo Launches Share the Passion Project

The Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (Tokyo 2020) also announced the launch of the Tokyo 2021 Share the Passion project. Olympic fans and family members from around the world will be able to deliver messages of support to their favorite athletes during the Games via text and video messages.  A selection of messages are planned to be displayed on social media platforms online and at the big screen at certain venues.