Alibaba Cloud Boosts Olympic Broadcasting with AI at Milano Cortina 2026

Alibaba Cloud, in partnership with Olympic Broadcasting Services and the International Olympic Committee, is set to revolutionize broadcasting at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics. Utilizing advanced cloud and AI technologies, the initiative aims to enhance the viewer experience and streamline broadcasting operations globally. For the first time, Alibaba's large language model Qwen will be employed, supporting Olympic AI Assistants to engage a worldwide audience with real-time information.

The upgraded Real-Time 360º Replay system offers immersive replays with 3D reconstructions of key moments in seconds, making it suitable for live broadcasting. This system will cover 17 sports, providing innovative views using AI algorithms. The Automatic Media Description System developed with Alibaba's technology will expedite media processing by identifying athletes and significant moments automatically.

Cloud-based broadcasting becomes a standard, with the Live Cloud platform supporting 39 broadcasters. It reduces costs and setup time while improving flexibility. Alibaba’s tech further expands digital content availability, empowering teams to manage and distribute Olympic stories seamlessly. The integration of AI into Olympic operations highlights a crucial evolution towards smarter broadcasting and more comprehensive archiving of historic moments.