3 minute read
OBS extends fan engagement efforts
180-degree and 360-degree cameras will capture the Ceremonies
OBS is placing up to six 180-degree monoscopic cameras and one 360-degree camera to capture the Ceremonies and Olympic competitions. OBS will also provide an additional stream with integrated camera coverage. Additionally, it will produce a broad variety of highlights, features, athlete experiences and point-of-view clips from all sports, some never before captured in VR.
These highlights and features are delivered as VOD in a mix of 180- and 360-degree formats.
In the moment
The VR enhancements are part of a broader OBS effort to enhance digital fan engagement. For example, in Tokyo OBS facilitated more than 200 Athlete Moments connecting Olympians in the venues with friends and families back home, creating moments of pure emotion captured by OBS cameras and distributed worldwide.
This Digital Fan Engagement initiative has proved a valuable tool in reaching out to and engaging with fans around the world, counterbalancing the impact the pandemic has had on Olympic fan attendance. Both athletes and broadcasters expressed great interest in making it a permanent fixture of future Games. Thus, OBS is bringing it back on a larger scale for Beijing 2022.
With the expansion of the project for Beijing, OBS will facilitate Athlete Moments across all sports and venues. OBS will incorporate many of these moments into its coverage to share the emotion of an athlete’s connection with their family and friends with a worldwide audience.
Fans are also invited to video themselves recording a message of support that will be later broadcast in Olympic venues, on Olympics.com and on RHBs’ digital platforms. Displayed as a video matrix on the big screens inside the Olympic venues, the Fan Video Wall helps enhance the atmosphere and sense of global fan inclusion, also contributing to the athletes’ Olympic experience.
New for Beijing 2022, those whose clips are selected for a fan video wall will receive an email with a link to the matrix featuring their video. They can then share that clip on social media.
Fans will also be able to virtually cheer from afar thanks to the cheer button, available via RHBs’ platforms, International Federations’ websites and Olympics.com. The cheers are collected and compiled into a live world cheer map, which provides a dynamic display from the world’s sporting fans. With no overseas spectators allowed, this service offers the athletes the chance to virtually see and feel their fans’ support.
Virtual reality makes the leap to 8K in Beijing
BY HEATHER MCLEAN
FIRST PUBLISHED 10 FEBRUARY 2022
MATT MILLINGTON, OBS T he Winter Games in Beijing are seeing an increased commitment to virtual reality (VR), most notably the use of 8K cameras and distribution that will help improve the viewer experience. It is all part of a broader plan to increase fan engagement at an Olympic Games where virtual connections are the norm.
“A well-designed VR experience can be transformative,” says Matt Millington, OBS, director of digital content. “The user feels completely transported to the heart of the action, following the athletes’ footsteps onto the field of play, and enjoying a new and unique perspective on the Olympic viewing experience. VR adoption has been growing steadily, and to further mainstream its adoption, we need to produce the highest quality content and maintain that quality through to distribution to give viewers an unforgettable experience.”
OBS is producing more than 80 hours of 8K live VR from the Opening and Closing Ceremonies and selected sports, with two different sports available daily.
“These sports and venues have been carefully chosen by OBS content creators based on the ability to strategically place cameras to convey a sense of proximity to the athletes, making the viewer feel like part of the action,” says Millington.
