As the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics approach, artificial intelligence and cloud broadcasting are poised to transform how global audiences engage with sports. Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) will deploy cutting-edge systems powered by Alibaba's cloud infrastructure to deliver unprecedented real-time analysis.
Viewers will witness athletes' performances reconstructed as 3D models within 20 seconds of key moments – from gravity-defying ski jumps to precision figure skating maneuvers. The upgraded replay system uses AI to isolate athletes from snowy backdrops, while 'Spacetime Slices' technology merges sequential movements into unified visualizations, revealing technical details invisible to conventional cameras.
Behind the scenes, AI-driven media tagging will enable broadcasters to instantly locate specific moments using natural language queries. Nearly 40 broadcast partners will receive hundreds of cloud-based live feeds, reducing satellite dependency and democratizing access for smaller media organizations.
The IOC will also debut large language model tools for multilingual fan engagement and archive searches through eight petabytes of historical data. Organizers emphasize these innovations aim to enhance both production efficiency and viewer understanding, creating new dimensions of Olympic storytelling.
