NBC Sports has selected Harmonic to provide its Edge media processing solution for its production of the XXIV Olympic Winter Games, from Beijing, China, February 2-20, 2022. The announcement was made today by Anil Abraham, Sr. Director Architecture & Engineering, NBCUniversal, and Shahar Bar, Senior Vice President, Video Products and Corporate Development, Harmonic.
NBCUniversal provides coverage of the 2022 Olympic Winter Games from Feb. 2-20, featuring a Winter Olympics-record 2,800+ hours of coverage across NBC, Peacock, USA Network, CNBC, NBCOlympics.com and the NBC Sports app. The Opening Ceremony was presented on Friday, Feb. 4, live in the morning and again in primetime on NBC and Peacock. Similar to recent Winter Games, NBC's primetime Olympic coverage began the night before the Opening Ceremony on Thursday, Feb. 3. Coverage began on Wednesday, Feb. 2, on USA Network and Peacock. NBCUniversal is presenting its 18th Olympic Games, 12th consecutive overall, and sixth straight Winter Games, all the most by any U.S. media company.
NBC Sports will use a software-based Edge solution to deliver live 4K HDR broadcasts with immersive audio to local stations and affiliates. The Harmonic-enabled broadcast distribution at scale in UHD HDR spans the full course of the XXIV Olympic Winter Games from Beijing.
Harmonic's XOS Edge solution streamlines all Olympic feeds from Beijing, enabling live 4K HDR broadcasts of the Opening Ceremony and nightly primetime coverage of the Winter Games, while ensuring the highest possible quality for HDR audiences. It is deployed at participating affiliate stations for automatic switching between UHD HDR for Olympics coverage and HD for local news reporting.
"With only half a year separating the Summer and Winter Games, Harmonic's ability to optimize XOS to reduce the number of staff needed to operate commercial integration across participating stations while maintaining high video/audio quality and system stability was critical," said Abraham.
"Harmonic helped NBC Sports deliver the first-ever broadcast distribution of UHD HDR at scale and is proud to be part of this next important milestone for the industry," said Bar. "It's yet another way that our video technology is pushing forward innovation to bring immersive experiences and even greater impact to live sports events."
About NBC SPORTS
NBC Sports connects people to the moments that matter most and serves sports fans 24/7 with premier live events, insightful studio shows, and compelling original programming. The sports media company presents premier content across linear platforms NBC, USA Network, Golf Channel, and Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA, as well numerous digital sites, including Peacock. It also consists of NBC Sports Next, a subdivision of NBC Sports and home to all NBCUniversal digital applications in sports and technology within its three groups: Youth & Recreational Sports, Golf, and Betting & Gaming. NBC Sports possesses an unparalleled collection of media rights agreements, partnering with some of the most prestigious sports properties in the world: the International Olympic Committee and United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee, the NFL, NASCAR, INDYCAR, PGA TOUR, The R&A, PGA of America, USGA, Churchill Downs, Premier League, Tour de France, Roland-Garros, and many more.
About Harmonic
Harmonic (NASDAQ: HLIT), the worldwide leader in virtualized cable access and video delivery solutions, enables media companies and service providers to deliver ultra-high-quality video streaming and broadcast services to consumers globally. The company revolutionized cable access networking via the industry's first virtualized cable access solution, enabling cable operators to more flexibly deploy gigabit internet service to consumers' homes and mobile devices. Whether simplifying OTT video delivery via innovative cloud and software platforms, or powering the delivery of gigabit internet cable services, Harmonic is changing the way media companies and service providers monetize live and on-demand content on every screen. More information is available at www.harmonicinc.com.
