With the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics opening ceremony just days away, Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS) Chief Technology Officer Sotiris Salamouris has highlighted Alibaba's pivotal role in revolutionizing event coverage. In an exclusive interview, Salamouris emphasized how the Chinese tech giant's cloud infrastructure is addressing unprecedented logistical challenges posed by the Games' five geographically dispersed venues.
"Alibaba's cloud system enables seamless coordination across Milan, Cortina d'Ampezzo, Valtellina, Val di Fiemme, and Antholz," Salamouris told CGTN Sports Scene, noting this marks the most complex Winter Olympics broadcast setup in history. The technology allows real-time data sharing between venues up to 400km apart, ensuring synchronized global coverage.
China Media Group (CMG) also receives recognition as the sole producer of 8K ultra-high-definition signals for the Games. This technological achievement builds on China's growing influence in sports broadcasting, following previous Olympic collaborations.
While not directly addressing cross-strait relations, the partnership demonstrates increasing mainland Chinese technological leadership in global events. The cloud-based solution could set new standards for future international sporting events, particularly those with distributed venues.
