NBC Sports and 3Play Media Team Up to Enhance Accessibility for 2024 Paris Olympics
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The 2024 Paris Olympics have wrapped up, leaving a legacy of athletic achievement and unparalleled accessibility in sports broadcasting.
In a landmark collaboration, NBC Sports and 3Play Media exemplified a strong commitment to inclusivity, ensuring every moment of the Games was accessible to all viewers. This partnership prioritized high-quality captioning for short-form video highlights across all digital platforms, setting a new standard for how sporting events can embrace digital access.
Raising the Bar: A Landmark Collaboration
NBC Sports forged a significant partnership with 3Play Media, aiming to revolutionize the way audiences engage with Olympic coverage. This collaboration emphasized delivering exceptional digital access using a combination of Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) and human-produced captions to provide coverage for 4,000 video highlights from the Olympic Trials and Games.
“For digital platforms, NBC made the commitment to cover every sport, session, and medal event. That meant cranking out 200+ captioned highlights per day, with a substantial number from less-familiar sports like team handball and rhythmic gymnastics…each with its own rules and jargon, and athletes from everywhere – Uzbeks, Botswanans, East Timorese. They’re all Olympians, so whether they were Sha’Carri Richardson of the USA or Enkhjargal Munguntsetseg of Mongolia, we had to get names right. That’s why we depended on 3Play’s combination of ASR and human captioning to make sure we were honoring the athlete’s commitment.”
— Eric Hamilton, NBC Sports’ Director of Digital Video Production for the Olympics
With a captioning workflow that fit seamlessly in NBC Sports’ existing delivery workflows, the 3Play team provided high-quality captions at remarkable speeds, with turnaround times under two hours.
In an extensive effort, eighteen months in the making, NBC Sports and 3Play Media established a comprehensive strategy for enhancing accessibility during the Olympics. The team’s dedication ensured all viewers could fully immerse themselves in the Olympic experience without encountering barriers.
Setting a New Standard for Accessibility
NBC Sports was driven by its commitment to not just meet but exceed past performance in accessibility.
As Robert McKnight, Director of Media Operations at NBC Sports, highlighted, “Every Olympics, we strive to do better than what we have done previously – there’s always room to grow; and the 2024 Paris Olympics were no different.”
In previous Olympic Games, relying solely on AI-generated captions proved challenging, particularly with the complexity of athlete names and the background noise from enthusiastic crowds, resulting in accuracy rates as low as 50%.
“The challenge presented to us was ‘how do you provide video assets with great quality captions as quickly as possible’; and that’s what 3Play Media helped solve with their 1, 2 punch of ASR and human captions.”
— Robert McKnight, NBC Sports Director of Media Operations
3Play Media’s innovative strategy addressed the accuracy challenges of the past and ensured that the Olympics were accessible to a diverse range of viewers. The NBC Sports and 3Play Media partnership demonstrated that by integrating advanced technology with human expertise, it’s possible to create an inclusive viewing experience that aligns with the spirit of the Olympic Games.
Looking Ahead to the 2024 Paralympic Games
As the Olympic flame passes to the 2024 Paris Paralympics, NBC Sports and 3Play Media are once again joining forces to offer a global event where accessibility remains central to the viewing experience.
“3Play has proven to be a great partner during the Paris Olympic Games, responding quickly and effectively to a variety of inquiries. Heading into the Paralympics, we are confident 3Play will continue to be a valuable partner.”
— Christine Dombek, Senior Product Manager of NBC Direct to Consumer TVEverywhere
Building on the successes and lessons learned from the Olympic Games, this continued partnership will focus on delivering high-quality captions and inclusive content for every event. The commitment to innovation and excellence in accessibility will carry forward, ensuring that the Paralympic Games are just as immersive and accessible for all viewers.
“We are honored to have contributed to making the Olympic experience inclusive for all viewers. As we gear up for the Paralympics, our commitment to delivering high-quality, real-time captioning remains unwavering.”
— Josh Miller, 3Play Media Co-CEO and Co-Founder
This collaboration underscores a shared vision for the future of sports broadcasting—one where no viewer is left behind. As NBC Sports and 3Play Media continue pushing the boundaries of accessibility, they are setting a precedent for future events, ensuring that every fan can fully participate in the excitement of the Games.
The journey doesn’t end with the Olympics. It continues with the Paralympics and beyond, shaping a more inclusive world for all.
Discover Seamless Accessibility for Your Sports Content
There are thousands of highlights available from the 2024 Paris Olympics on Peacock and NBC Olympics, with more content on the way from the Paris Paralympic Games kicking off on August 28, 2024.
For more details on this groundbreaking NBC Sports and 3Play Media collaboration, read the full article on Sports Video Group.
