Alibaba Cloud Powers AI-Driven Broadcasting for Milano Cortina 2026 Olympics

#Alibaba Cloud, the digital technology and intelligence backbone of Alibaba Group, is partnering with Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to deploy advanced cloud and AI technologies for the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026. 

Building on deployments at Tokyo 2020, Beijing 2022, and Paris 2024, the collaboration marks another step in the IOC’s transition toward cloud-based, AI-enabled broadcasting. These technologies are designed to enhance viewing experience for global audiences, improve operational efficiency for broadcasters, and create new ways to capture, manage, and preserve Olympic content at scale. 

 

Dr. Feifei Li, Senior Vice President of Alibaba Cloud Intelligence Group, President of International Business, said: "Each Olympic Games presents unique challenges in scale, geography, and complexity. For Milano Cortina 2026, we are applying cloud and AI capabilities to make broadcasts more dynamic, workflows more efficient, and Olympic moments more accessible to audiences around the world." 

 

 

Better Views: The New Instant Replay System 

 

For Milano Cortina 2026, Alibaba Cloud is introducing upgraded Real-Time 360º Replay systems that deliver immersive replays with fluid camera movement and stroboscopic visual effects. Powered by AI algorithm that separate athletes from complex backgrounds such as snow and ice, the system enables three-dimensional reconstructions of key moments in as little as 15-20 seconds—fast enough for live broadcast use.  

 

The system will be deployed across 17 sports and disciplines, including ice hockey, freestyle skiing, figure skating, and ski jumping. In addition to the BulletTime effects first introduced at Beijing 2022 to provide frame-freeze and slow-motion views, the platform now features a new Spacetime Slices capability that visualizes multiple phases of an athlete’s movement in a single composite image, allowing viewers to better understand technique and performance. 

 

Faster Processing and Enhanced Searchability: The New Media System 

 

OBS is currently in the early development phase of the Automatic Media Description (AMD) System powered by Alibaba's Qwen advanced large language model. The system automatically identifies athletes and key moments, generates event descriptions, and tags video assets within seconds, significantly reducing manual processing time. 

 

Using natural-language queries, such as "find the figure skating gold medal performance," the OBS teams can retrieve this information almost instantly. The system improves searchability, and enables OBS teams to more easily find, develop and distribute Olympic stories across platforms. 

 

 

Cloud Broadcasting: A New Standard 

 

Cloud-based broadcasting continues to expand at Milano Cortina 2026. Since its introduction at Tokyo 2020, OBS Live Cloud has evolved from an optional service to a core distribution platform. At the Paris 2024 Games, it became the primary method for remote broadcast delivery.  

 

For Milano Cortina 2026, the Live Cloud platform will support 39 broadcasters, delivering 428 live video feeds, including 26 in ultra-high definition streams, along with 72 audio feeds. By replacing traditional satellite links and dedicated transmission lines, cloud-based delivery reduces cost, setup time, and technical complexity, while improving flexibility and resilience. 

 

For the first time, the OBS Olympic Video Player (OVP) will deliver high-definition live streams using Alibaba Cloud's infrastructure, enabling smaller broadcasters to access professional-grade broadcast capabilities without heavy upfront investment. 

 

Yiannis Exarchos, CEO, Olympic Broadcasting Services, said “Alibaba Cloud provides the foundation that makes large-scale AI possible, making our operations more efficient and unlocking new opportunities to enhance viewers’ experience and deepen their understanding of the sport and athletes’ performances on the world’s biggest stage.” 

 
More Digital Content Than Ever 

 

Milano Cortina 2026 will also see the largest volume of ready-to-use digital assets in Olympic history. More than 5,000 short-form pieces, including behind-the-scenes footage, highlights, and emotional reactions, will be distributed through OBS Content+, a cloud-based platform powered by Alibaba Cloud.  

 

The platform’s advanced discovery tool allows teams worldwide to locate, edit, and publish content efficiently, regardless of location.  

 

First Use of LLM Technologies at the Olympics and Next-Generation Olympic Archive with Alibaba’s Qwen 

 

For Milano Cortina 2026, the IOC has introduced its first large-language-model-based system in Olympic history, powered by Alibaba’s Qwen models. The initiative, known as “Olympic AI Assistants,” supports fan engagement worldwide and internal operations across the Olympic ecosystem.  

 

The Olympic AI Assistant, embedded on the IOC’s global website olympics.com, provides multilingual conversational support, real-time event information allowing fans to access official Olympic Games content through a chat-based interface. 

 

The same Qwen-powered technology is being deployed at the Olympic Museum in Lausanne, where visitors will have access to personalized AI audio guides that enhance the museum experience. 

 

Internally, the IOC has launched an AI Assistant - powered by Alibaba's Qwen large language model—on its secure portal for National Olympic Committees (NOCs). The AI tool enables NOC staff to locate documents, policies, and grant guidelines through natural language queries, with built-in multilingual translation support. 

 

In parallel, Alibaba Cloud continues to enhance Sports AI, a cloud-based media archiving solution first introduced at the Paris 2024 Games. The upgraded solution includes AI tagging, video search, and conversational search, making the Olympics archive instantly searchable and more accessible.  

 

Managing more than eight petabytes of historical Olympic media, the system utilizes Alibaba Cloud’s proprietary AI algorithms to automate tagging, categorization, and multimodal search across decades of content. New conversational search capabilities, powered by Alibaba’s Qwen, allow users to retrieve specific clips using simple spoken or written commands. 

 

By integrating with the IOC’s media asset platform, Flex, the solution enables fully automatic tagging of Olympic multimedia assets, turning previously unused media assets into a living, searchable knowledge library. 
 

Ilario Corna, Chief Technology and Information Officer, International Olympic Committee, said: “Milano Cortina 2026 marks a defining moment in the integration of AI into the Olympic Movement. Alibaba Cloud has been incredible in putting these leading capabilities to work in very practical, helpful ways—not only enhancing the everyday experience for our fans through first use of LLM technologies at the Olympics, but building intelligent systems such as Sports AI that will preserve historic Olympic moments for generations to come. 

 

Leveraging Alibaba’s cloud-based technologies, we have progressed way beyond digitalization for efficiency to using technologies to transform the entire Olympic experience through AI innovations. The tangible benefits brought by cloud and AI are now visible not only to the IOC, NOCs, OBS and Right Holding Broadcasters, but also to audience and sports fans worldwide.” 

 

Since Alibaba Group became a Worldwide TOP Partner of the IOC in 2017, Alibaba Cloud has played an increasingly central role in how the Olympic Games are delivered, experienced, and remembered—helping to place cloud computing and AI at the core of the world’s largest sporting event.