Most of us would struggle to name a single fencer, shot putter, or hammer thrower. We’re unlikely to be avid followers of the archery circuit or discus scene, either.

But when 26 July (local time) rolls around for

the start of the 2024 Summer Olympics, we’ll likely be gripped by Games fever.

We’re not alone in getting caught up in the buzz of one of the world’s most popular sporting competitions.
The Summer Olympics consistently capture a global TV audience in excess of 3 billion people.

But there’s a long-standing problem with the viewing experience… too many sports, played simultaneously, crammed into just two weeks – and severely limited options for fans to choose the events they’re most interested in watching.

Mostly, this is a tongue-in-cheek comment. We get how the event works, and why. But it’s still a problem.

However, where the Paris Olympics are concerned, that issue is set to become a significantly smaller hurdle for subscribers of US streaming service, Peacock.

The company unveiled a swag of handy interactive features for its 2024 Olympics coverage at NBCUniversal’s annual tech conference, One24, last week – and these add-ons will revolutionise the at-home viewing experience.

“The Paris Olympics will mark another major milestone for Peacock’s leadership in live streaming with an unprecedented viewing experience that demonstrates our commitment to our customers, clients, and partners,” Peacock President, Kelly Campbell, said.

Leading the way is ‘Live Actions’, a handy tool that allows fans to choose their own viewing path during live and primetime coverage, and follow the events they’re most interested in consuming.

Then, there are two multiview features, enabling subscribers to watch simultaneous events.

The first is ‘Discovery Multiview’, a four-screen selection of the ‘most important’ live events as curated by Peacock. Tags and descriptions of each competition inform viewers of critical moments, such as when a defending champion is in action.

It’s coupled with a more traditional multiview experience, which permits viewers to witness up to four matches on screen for applicable sports, such as soccer.

Both multiview options are customisable, enabling fans to ‘move around’ the screens and seamlessly switch between audio feeds.

Additionally, Peacock subscribers will have the luxury of toggling between live and whip-around coverage, and can even add events to a personalised ‘my stuff’ list to watch later. There’s also capability to search for specific athletes, to track their particular competitions.

While providing viewers with access to multiple events held simultaneously is hardly a new initiative, the level of consumer choice provided by this tech is incredible.

Traditionally, viewing has been limited to set events at the broadcaster’s discretion, typically tilted towards the most popular sports or those in which its country’s competitors are expected to perform well in.

For the 2024 Games, Peacock will feature live coverage of all events – making it the most comprehensive Olympics streaming destination in US media history.

Imagine if you’re a relative or friend of an athlete competing in one of the Olympics’ lesser-known sports – which traditionally may not be broadcast on TV or online, at least live – and you don’t have the means to attend the event in person. This tech brings you right into the picture.

There is bad news, though. Peacock subscriptions are available only to US residents… at least officially.

Hopefully, we see tech like this readily available throughout the world in time for the 2028 Games.