• by Laurie Sullivan , Staff Writer @lauriesullivan, July 19, 2024

NBCUniversal’s partnership with Google could change the direction of television if the company experiments as much as it can.

NBCUniversal and Team USA created a partnership with Google to use the Alphabet company’s advancements in technologies like artificial intelligence and 3D imaging to cover the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The deal, announced Thursday, focuses on the ability to tell athletes' stories through its technology including Search, Maps and Gemini.

But what about purchasing options to buy memorabilia related to the games?

Charlie Saunders, senior vice president of media and sponsorship at NBC Olympics, told Performance Marketing Insider there are several fun products that the team created, but the features are mainly intended for the NBCU product team.

There are enhanced 3D broadcasts and ways to follow Leslie Jones, Chief Superfan commentator, as she follows the Olympic Games with the help of Gemini, Google’s AI Assistant.

Jones will use Gemini to inform herself on custom moves or learn a new sport, while entertaining and sharing knowledge with fans across NBCU’s networks and Peacock. 

People shape technology by using it. But during a short conversation with Performance Marketing Insider, Saunders said “there are no fan interactive elements with viewers created with Google’s technology for the Paris Olympics.”

“This is the first time we used Google’s technology,” Saunders added. “We are always looking for ways to improve the viewer’s experience.”

But as mentioned previously, the viewing experience will rely on NBCU’s team and not the viewer. “The beauty of the city of Paris and wanting to make sure that the viewer understood when we take them from venue to venue by using Google 3D mapping technology,” he said.

Saunders said the team is excited to see how it goes in Paris, and the hope is to extend this partnership for future games and in other NBCU sports.

Businesses are still testing and learning more about AI, and how to translate the technology into ways that can reach and touch consumers.

The combination of technology and creativity can do some amazing things. Earlier this year, Google published a list of 101 real-world generative AI (GAI) use cases from organization worldwide. Few media companies seem to be on the list.