PARIS – Alibaba Cloud, the digital technology and intelligence backbone of Alibaba Group, and Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS), has today announced the launch of OBS Cloud 3.0 for the Olympic Games Paris 2024 (Paris 2024).
A combination of cloud technologies powered by AI, OBS Cloud 3.0 makes the work of OBS and Media Rights-Holders (MRHs) easier and more efficient.
For Paris 2024, OBS Cloud 3.0 will serve as the backbone infrastructure supporting several critical functions, fully utilizing the benefits of cloud technologies including operational scalability and cost-efficiency, improved sustainability with enhanced remote working capabilities, effective real-time workflow collaboration, and more.
As part of OBS Cloud 3.0, OBS Live Cloud has become the main method of remote distribution to Media Rights-Holders (MRHs) for the first time in the history of the Olympic Games, taking over from satellite which was launched during the Olympics Games Tokyo 1964.
For Paris 2024, two-thirds of booked remote services (across 54 broadcasters) are now using OBS Live Cloud including 2 Ultra High Definition (UHD) broadcasters. 379 video (11 UHD, 368 HD) and 100 audio feeds will be transmitted via the Live Cloud.
With the benefits of low latency and high resilience, content transmission via cloud has outperformed other methods of distribution when it comes to scalability, flexibility and cost while increasing the stability and agility of worldwide broadcasting of the largest sports event.
Debuted at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 with an UHD broadcaster, OBS Live Cloud was offered as a standard service for the first time during the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 with 22 subscribed broadcasters.
Prior to this technology breakthrough, broadcasters had to rely on dedicated and more costly international telecommunication optical circuits and spend a considerate amount of time to set up the equipment, in order to send live footage halfway across the globe back to their home countries.
At the launch of the OBS Cloud 3.0 during the Alibaba Cloud International Broadcasting Centre (IBC) showcase opening, Yiannis Exarchos, OBS Chief Executive Officer, said, “With approximately half of the world’s population watching the Games, technologies like Alibaba Cloud help us tell the stories of the best athletes in the world, but also bring the world together in ways which are more exciting and inspirational.
Broadcasting the Games is fundamental in trying to do that, and having partners like Alibaba that help us bring this dream to life are very valuable for us!”
