In collaboration with the IOC and OBS, Samsung Galaxy technology will offer fans around the world a new, up-close view of the world’s best athletes during the Games
Samsung Electronics, a global Olympic and Paralympic partner, today announced its plans together with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS) to revolutionize the Paris 2024 broadcast experience for viewers and fans. Never-before-seen footage, which will be captured and shared with the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, will play an integral role in the opening of the historic Opening Ceremony on the Seine River, and in the sailing competitions of the Olympic Games.
As the official smartphone and computing partner of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, Samsung will leverage its advanced mobile technology and 5G connectivity to provide a closer look at these iconic moments of celebration and competition. This new vision, powered by Samsung Galaxy innovation, will not only help Paris 2024 deliver on its promise of being the most open Games in history, it will also drive Samsung’s legacy of innovation in support of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
“In an increasingly connected society, Samsung Galaxy mobile technology has helped deepen and transform users’ relationships with the world, wherever they are. As a global partner for almost three decades, we know first-hand how important it is to create and enable the same meaningful connections at the Olympic and Paralympic Games.“said Stephanie Choi, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of Mobile eXperience Business at Samsung Electronics. ““We are honored to work closely with the IOC and OBS to provide high-quality images that will form part of a series of firsts at Paris 2024, bringing fans in attendance and at home even closer to the excitement.”.
In about a month’s time, the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games will take place outside a stadium for the first time. Paris 2024 will see 10,500 athletes float down the River Seine in boats designated for each national delegation, in what aims to be the most open and accessible opening ceremony in history. Starting from the Austerlitz Bridge, the iconic parade will follow a six-kilometer route through the center of Paris, passing some of the official venues of the Olympic Games before the grand final ceremony at the Trocadero.
Galaxy S24 Ultra Gives Spectators a Front Row Seat at the Games
To bring fans closer to the action and give them an intimate view of the athletes’ reactions during this once-in-a-lifetime trip, Samsung will install more than 200 Galaxy S24 Ultra smartphones on the bow and sides of each of the 85 boats. the athletes at the opening ceremony. High-quality HDR images taken with Galaxy S24 Ultra devices will be shared and transmitted over a private 5G network from Orange, the official mobile provider of Paris 2024 in France. Orange will install more than a dozen 5G antennas along the Seine to create the first-ever independent 5G network in France, as this pioneering collaboration is designed to ensure seamless 5G connectivity and viewing experience for fans across the country. world.
Samsung will also deploy similar technology for the sailing competitions in Marseille, installing Galaxy S24 Ultra smartphones on each racing boat, allowing fans to experience the excitement of the regatta alongside their favorite Olympians and get right into the action.
This involved a whole series of new challenges and months of research, development and testing in close collaboration with OBS and Orange; all to ensure video quality and connectivity performance in different types of water and weather conditions, which may have high winds with huge waves or extremely hot and sunny environments. To address these challenges, Samsung and its partners took advantage of the optical image stabilization (OIS) features of the Galaxy S24 Ultra, increased the transmission power, and installed transmission towers on the tracking ship to ensure viewers a broadcast in I live without interruptions.
“As the host broadcaster of the Olympic Games, we are very excited about this partnership with Samsung, which will enable a truly original perspective on Paris 2024 and change the way fans will experience the Games.“, declared Yiannis Exarchos, Executive Director of OBS. “Samsung’s latest mobile innovation will allow millions of fans around the world to live and breathe the spirit, action and excitement of the Opening Ceremony and sailing competitions alongside their favorite athletes in real time.”
Samsung’s historic contribution to the Games
This announcement marks the next stage of Samsung’s major commitment, in close collaboration with the IOC, to drive digital transformation and deliver cutting-edge technology at the Games by opening up the latest mobile innovations to athletes, fans and communities alike. This originated with the first “Call Home” program, which allowed nearly 2,500 athletes to talk to their families at home for free in 1998, when access to cell phones was limited. It continued with the Wireless Olympic Works (WOW) app, the first official Olympic information service for mobile devices. The WOW app was introduced to Olympic organizers via Samsung-issued Palm OS phones at Athens 2004 and then made available to the public at Vancouver 2010, giving fans the latest Games updates directly to their phones.
In addition to driving mobile innovation, Samsung has also contributed to the way athletes and staff connect and communicate during the Games. Since Nagano 1998, Samsung has provided athletes and staff with a total of more than 120,000 mobile products.
Details of how Samsung will further leverage its technological capabilities to bring fans closer to athletes will be revealed in the coming weeks, in another Olympic first.
