The Middle East is rapidly becoming a global sporting capital, captivating viewers with events such as the thrilling Formula 1 races in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Abu Dhabi, as well as the legendary signing of Cristiano Ronaldo by Saudi football club Al-Nassr FC.
This regional boom will be further boosted by the upcoming first Olympic eSports Games in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 2025. As the region establishes itself as an epicenter for sports and entertainment, we expect to see significant growth in the sports events space – which will attract significant private and institutional investment and align perfectly with the overall development of the sports industry, which has been dramatically accelerated by technological advances.
To fully appreciate the potential of future sports technology, let’s first look at the groundbreaking innovations that transformed our experience during the recently concluded Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Gone are the days when watching live in the stadium was the only way to enjoy the euphoria of watching our favorite athletes chase gold and glory. Nowhere was this more evident than at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, where groundbreaking AI and cloud technologies gave audiences worldwide a front-row seat to some of the most nerve-wracking and heart-wrenching moments in sporting history.
With the Olympic AI Agenda launched in April, the International Olympic Committee has created a robust framework for the groundbreaking impact of AI on sport. We are proud to support the IOC’s efforts in this regard with our cloud technologies to help media professionals in their coverage of the Games and increase fan engagement on a global scale through innovative applications.
Better support broadcasters with intelligent replay systems
For the first time in Olympic Games history, the OBS (Olympic Broadcasting Services) Live Cloud, part of our OBS Cloud 3.0 offering, has become the primary method of remote distribution to media rights holders (MRHs), replacing satellite, which was introduced during the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.
This shift is underlined by the record-breaking 11,000 hours of Olympic Games content available in the cloud via Content+, demonstrating the enormous potential of cloud technology in transforming the viewer experience.
Additionally, our collaboration with OBS has resulted in our AI-powered multi-camera playback systems that use cutting-edge spatial reconstruction and 3D rendering to generate 360-degree slow-motion replays—but it gets even better.
Throughout the event, these systems produced thousands of replay clips from various sports such as basketball, gymnastics, tennis, beach volleyball and rugby sevens. This system not only enhanced the broadcasts but also provided valuable analysis tools for media professionals.
Interestingly, this cutting-edge technology was not our first foray into cloud-based AI technology at the Olympic Games. Multi-Camera Replay Systems were already used at the Beijing 2022 Olympic Games specifically for curling and speed skating. By enhancing these systems for Paris 2024, we ensured that broadcasters could offer more comprehensive and detailed analysis of sporting events and provide fans with an extraordinary, immersive spectacle they won’t soon forget.
Taking the fan experience to a new level
While broadcasters enjoyed their superpowered replays, we promised our loyal fans that they would always be in the middle of the action by unveiling a series of innovative digital applications designed to make the Olympic Games a truly exciting experience.
The debut of the Smart Virtual Boxing project, a form of e-sports, on Alibaba Wonder Avenue was a major highlight, featuring real-time commentary based on our own Large Language Model Qwen.
The virtual commentator analyzed players’ moves and performances in real time and made predictions for the upcoming rounds. Fluent in both English and French, this application enriched the viewing experience by adding a layer of expert commentary that was both insightful and easy to understand.
Another outstanding innovation was Cloud Memento, an innovative tool that transformed static images of participants into dynamic motion videos. Spectators at iconic venues such as the Eiffel Tower Stadium, Champs De Mars Arena and Les Invalides were able to create personalized videos of themselves practicing Olympic sports. By using cloud-based intelligent technology to ensure smooth transitions and realistic animations, this novel tool allowed fans to enjoy the thrill of Olympic sports in a unique digital way.
Revolutionizing IOC archive management
As we have seen, Alibaba Cloud’s impact on Paris 2024 has been nothing short of sensational – but our influence extends far beyond the Olympic stage.
Our partnership with the IOC on the Media Archiving AI Solution represents a significant advancement in sports media archiving. This solution leverages our visual AI to automatically generate video highlights of the most memorable boxing and archery matches from Paris 2024, enhancing media storytelling capabilities and creating a more engaging viewing experience around the world.
The digital advancements showcased at Paris 2024 are just the beginning. Through our ongoing collaboration with the IOC and other stakeholders, our groundbreaking technologies have given global audiences an invaluable glimpse into a future where cloud technologies redefine the way we experience and interact with the world of sport.
As one of the most compelling sporting events in human history comes to a close, the legacy of the Olympic Games will continue to inspire and drive the development of cloud technologies in sport – creating a better and more dynamic future for athletes and fans.
- By Eric Wan, General Manager of Alibaba Cloud Middle East, Türkiye & Africa
