The Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS) will use Alibaba's cloud technologies for the Olympic Winter Games in Beijing 2022. OBS's partnership with Alibaba focuses on increasing the efficiency of the broadcast operations and enhancing the viewership experience for global sports fans.

With the Alibaba Cloud, Olympic Broadcasters can now receive live, broadcast-quality video in a more agile and cost-efficient manner. This will enable them to provide viewers with an immersive sports experience.

Yiannis Exarchos, the Chief Executive Officer of the Olympic Broadcasting Services, praised the partnership with Alibaba Cloud, which has led to the evolution of the way the Olympic Games are broadcast.

"Amid the backdrop of COVID-19, our partnership with Alibaba Cloud has continued to transform the way we broadcast the Olympic Games," said the CEO.

"OBS Cloud is one of the most profound technological changes to our operation: it not only offers broadcasters unprecedented efficiency, but also enables endless opportunities for innovation and to seamlessly deliver the excitement of the Olympic Games to the widest possible audience."

We've teamed up w OBS to offer a live content delivery platform on the cloud at #Beijing2022. Over 20 broadcast organisations are using Live Cloud to receive the multilateral live signals of the Games in either UHD or HD via #OBS Cloud.#OlympicGames https://t.co/tctMWGlmY5

— Alibaba Cloud (@alibaba_cloud) February 18, 2022

Benefit of using cloud services: real-time footage transmission
During Beijing 2022, many broadcasters have deployed Live Cloud to receive the Olympic Games' live signals in high-definition or ultra-high-definition (UHD) through OBS Cloud. This is the first time an Olympic Games has been broadcast using cloud technology.

Before the launch of Live Cloud, broadcasters had to rely on costly and dedicated international optical circuits to transmit live video to their home countries. With the help of Alibaba Cloud's secure and resilient global infrastructure, OBS can deliver high-quality, live broadcasts to viewers anywhere in the world.

The increasing popularity of cloud-based content distribution has led to the rise of productivity and cost-effectiveness in broadcasting. Its ability to provide high-quality, elastic, and low latency has also led to improved broadcast quality.

As part of Live Cloud, OBS has also provided broadcasters with an application that lets them choose which feeds they want to receive at any given time.

Enhanced multi-camera replay systems
With the help of Alibaba Cloud's multi-camera replay system, broadcasters will provide viewers with an immersive viewing experience during the Beijing 2022 Olympic Games.

Alibaba Cloud's edge cloud technology will capture and extract live multi-angle footage of the Speed Skating and Curling events. These moments will be shared as part of the live broadcast.

For events that require less time-sensitive coverage, such as daily highlights, Alibaba Cloud's edge technology will be used to extract and produce high-quality 3D representations of the sports scenes.

Alibaba Cloud has deployed cloud technology to power a multi-camera replay system for the first time at #BEIJING2022, giving viewers a chance to watch the action from every angle again.

Do you know at which games the technology is deployed? #OlympicWinterGames

— Alibaba Cloud (@alibaba_cloud) February 18, 2022

Remote video production
Content+, also on Alibaba Cloud, will serve as the RHB's content delivery platform for the upcoming Olympic Winter Games. It is expected to produce over 6,000 hours of live sports and coverage during the event, with an additional 1,200 hours of unaired competition.

This will be the first time RHB members will create sub-clips using the platform's live sessions. Doing so will allow them to work more efficiently on large-scale content distribution and provide better content quality for social media platforms.