From 1 to Over 1000 Olympic Live Broadcast Cameras... The Secret to 5 Billion Viewers [Paris Olympics]

History of Olympic Broadcasts
Radio → TV → Watching the Olympics on Smartphones
1936 Berlin Olympic Live Broadcast Begins
1960 Rome Olympic Live Broadcast Crosses Borders
Now an Era of Enjoying Online Streaming

It is now an era where you can watch the 2024 Paris Olympic Games happening on the other side of the globe on a square smartphone held in one hand. Just over 90 years ago, there was only one camera capable of live broadcasting the games, but now more than 1,000 cameras cover every corner of the stadium, delivering in real time to the world the moments of glory experienced by athletes, their expressions of joy and sorrow, sweat, and passion.

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

Changes in media technology are transforming the history of Olympic broadcasting. The British magazine The Economist recently reported that the media broadcasting sports events is rapidly evolving, stating, "This Olympics will feature cameras operating everywhere to deliver thousands of hours of game footage to about half of the world's population."

For the past several decades, most Olympic opening ceremonies and games were watched via live TV broadcasts. Viewers could only watch on the channels of broadcasters who secured the Olympic broadcasting rights, and some even subscribed to cable services just for this purpose. In this Olympics, the number of viewers enjoying the Games through online streaming services such as YouTube Live broadcast by broadcasters, social networking services (SNS), and Disney+ is increasing.

Interior view of the France Paris International Broadcasting Center (IBC) prepared for the 2024 Paris Olympics [Image source=AFP Yonhap News]

The history leading up to the current ease of enjoying Olympic broadcasts with one hand is not very long. According to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) data, before the 1920s, spectators who could not enter the stadium had to obtain recorded footage released months later to watch the Olympic Games. At the 1924 Paris Olympics, 100 years ago, it was difficult to broadcast video with cameras, so live audio broadcasts were made via radio instead.

The first live video broadcast of the Olympics began at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. This was 40 years after the Olympics first started. Three cameras were installed on-site to broadcast video on TV, but only one of the three cameras was capable of live broadcasting. Live broadcasts were also difficult at night due to darkness, so only games held during clear daytime weather could be captured by cameras. About 162,000 people worldwide could enjoy this.

At the 1948 London Olympics, live video broadcasts were transmitted up to 200 km away from the stadium, allowing 500,000 people to enjoy them, but crossing national borders was not easy.

The first live broadcast crossing national borders occurred at the 1960 Rome Olympics. The 1964 Tokyo Olympics used satellites to broadcast real-time games not only in Japan but also to the United States. Four years later, at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics, the broadcast range expanded to three continents, allowing 17% of the world’s population to enjoy the games live. After that, the number increased rapidly. By the 1972 Olympics, 98 countries across five continents watched live, and by 1984, 156 countries enjoyed real-time broadcasts. Since the 2012 London Olympics, about 5 billion people, or 70% of the world’s population, have been able to watch the Olympics live.

[Image source=AFP Yonhap News]

As the number of countries receiving live Olympic broadcasts expanded, video technology was also upgraded. At the 1936 Berlin Olympics, only one camera was capable of live broadcasting, but by the 2012 London Olympics, that number had increased to over 1,000 cameras, and more than 4,000 microphones were used to vividly capture on-site sounds.

Various cameras were introduced, from steadycams that reduce shaking and increase immersion to rail-mounted cameras that capture athletes’ movements without interfering with the game. With tens of thousands of hours of footage being recorded, broadcasters from various countries could select and transmit the content.

In this Olympics, Samsung Electronics collaborated with the IOC and Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS) to use the Galaxy S24 Ultra to live broadcast the opening ceremony. More than 200 Galaxy S24 Ultra devices were installed on 85 parade boats to capture and transmit video in real time. Samsung also plans to use this technology for live broadcasting of sailing events during this Olympics.

The Economist stated, "Media is changing in a way that is reshaping the sports business," adding, "One-third of viewers of the Paris Olympic Games are expected to watch via online streaming rather than traditional broadcasting, with the audience mainly consisting of young viewers from some affluent countries." The Economist also noted that globally famous sports leagues such as the English Premier League (EPL) and the National Football League (NFL) already conduct game broadcasts through streaming.