Highlights
- Samsung to use 200 Galaxy S24 Ultra phones for broadcasting Paris 2024 Olympics.
- High-quality HDR footage to be streamed via a private 5G network by Orange.
- Enhanced viewer experience during the Opening Ceremony and sailing competitions.
- Official Smartphone and Computing Equipment partner for Paris 2024 Olympics.
Samsung Electronics announced its plan for a new broadcasting experience for the viewing audiences and fans of the 2024 Olympics, which will be held in Paris.
Samsung will use 200 Galaxy S24 Ultra smartphones to capture and share footage with an opening ceremony that will take place on the Seine River and include sailing competitions.
Samsung Official Olympics Partner
As the Official Smartphone and Computing Equipment partner, Samsung will leverage its mobile technology and 5G connectivity to offer a closer perspective on the level of celebration and flexible competition moments.
The new view is proposed to make the Paris 2024 Games more open and continue Samsung innovation support to 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. Having been a Worldwide Partner for nearly 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, EVP & Head of Marketing of Mobile eXperience Business at Samsung Electronics. “We’re honored to be working closely with the IOC and OBS to provide high-quality footage that will be part of a series of firsts at Paris 2024 and bring fans at home and onsite even closer to the excitement.”
For the first time ever, next month’s Opening Ceremony will take place outside a stadium.
The Seine River will play host to teams of 10,500 athletes representing their national delegations on designated boats.
It will be history’s greatest and most accessible opening ceremony ever, passing through the very heart of Paris and official Olympic venues.
The S24 Ultra to Carry the Opening Ceremony
With the Opening Ceremony, Samsung is going to fit more than 200 Galaxy S24 Ultra smartphones on the athlete vessels.
The HDR footage, captured and streaming via a private 5G network from Orange, the Official Mobile Network Provider in France, will be live-broadcast.
Orange will position, along the Seine, 5G antennas to create the first-ever 5G Standalone network in France for seamless connectivity.
But the same technology is going to be brought in by Samsung during the sailing events in Marseille, simply by fitting a Galaxy S24 Ultra on every competition boat.
That lets the fan experience every thrill alongside their favorite Olympian.
“As host broadcaster of the Olympic Games, we’re incredibly excited about this partnership with Samsung which will allow a truly original perspective of Paris 2024, evolving the way in which fans will experience the Games,” said Yiannis Exarchos, Chief Executive Officer of OBS. “Samsung’s latest mobile innovation will allow millions of fans around the world to live and breathe the spirit, action and emotion of the Opening Ceremony and sailing competitions alongside their favorite athletes in real-time.”
The company addressed challenges like video quality, connectivity, weather conditions, and waves through research, development, and testing with OBS and Orange.
Solutions involved the Galaxy S24 Ultra’s optical image stabilization, increased transmission power, and relay towers on chase boats.
FAQs
What new technology is Samsung introducing for the Paris 2024 Olympics?
Samsung will utilize 200 Galaxy S24 Ultra smartphones to capture and share high-quality footage during the Opening Ceremony and sailing competitions.
How will the footage be transmitted during the events?
The footage will be streamed via a private 5G network provided by Orange, with 5G antennas installed along the Seine River for seamless connectivity.
What events will Samsung’s technology be used for at the Olympics?
Samsung’s Galaxy S24 Ultra will be used to broadcast the Opening Ceremony on the Seine River and the sailing competitions in Marseille.
What is the significance of the Opening Ceremony at Paris 2024?
For the first time, the Opening Ceremony will take place outside a stadium, with athletes floating down the Seine River, making it the most open and accessible ceremony in history.
How has Samsung addressed potential challenges in capturing footage?
Samsung has tackled issues like video quality, connectivity, and weather conditions through research, development, and testing with OBS and Orange, using features like optical image stabilization and increased transmission power.
What has been Samsung’s Long-Running Contribution to the Games ?
The announcement shows the next stage of Samsung’s long-standing 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 speak to their families back home for free in 1998, when access to mobile phones was limited.
It continued with the Wireless Olympic Works (WOW) app, the first official Olympic information service on mobile.
The WOW app was introduced to Olympic organizers via Samsung-supplied Palm OS phones at Athens 2004 and then was made available to the public at Vancouver 2010, providing fans with the latest Games-time updates straight to their mobile phones.
Samsung has also contributed to how athletes and staff, connect and communicate during the Games-time.
Since Nagano 1998, Samsung has provided athletes and staff with a total of more than 120,000 mobile products.
Did Galaxy S24 Ultra Gives Viewers Front Row Seat to the Games ?
To bring fans at home closer to the action and provide an intimate glimpse of athletes’ reactions during this once-in-a-lifetime voyage, Samsung will install more than 200 Galaxy S24 Ultra smartphones at the bow and sides of each of the 85 athlete vessels at the opening ceremony.
The high-quality HDR footage taken with the Galaxy S24 Ultra devices will be shared and streamed via a private 5G network powered by Orange, the official mobile network provider of Paris 2024 in France.
Orange will install more than a dozen 5G antennas along the Seine to create the first-ever 5G standalone network in France, as this pioneering collaboration is designed to ensure a seamless 5G connectivity and viewing experience for fans around the world.
Samsung will also deploy the same technology for the sailing competitions in Marseille by installing the Galaxy S24 Ultra on each competition boat, letting fans experience the thrill of the race alongside their favorite Olympians and allowing them to truly get in on the action.
This presented a whole new set of challenges and months of research, development and testing — in close collaboration with the OBS and Orange — to guarantee video quality and connectivity performance across various bodies of water and weather conditions, which can be really windy with huge waves or extremely hot and sunny.
Samsung and its partners addressed these challenges by leveraging the Galaxy S24 Ultra’s optical image stabilization (OIS) features, increasing transmission power and installing relay towers on chase boat to ensure a seamless livestream experience for viewers.
Also Read: Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra Camera Glitch: Company Promises Fixes for Early Adopters
Also Read: Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra Showing Washed-out Colours in Vivid Mode: A Closer Look at the Issue
Also Read: Samsung Galaxy S24 Series Sets New Pre-Order Records in South Korea and India