Paris 2024: NBC's Reunited Highlights Factory Team Captures Big Little Moments', Tests New AI-Based Tools Ai-powered Your Daily Olympic Recap,' WSC Sports automated highlights add new wrinkles to operation By Jason Dachman, Editorial Director, U.S.
Tuesday, August 6, 2024 - 3:31 pm
Print This Story
Since launching for Beijing 2008 out of the iconic 30 Rock's iconic Studio 8H, NBC's Highlights Factory has evolved into one of most integral cogs in NBC's sprawling Olympics productions.
NBC's Eric Hamilton (right) and Wally Bruckner inside the Highlights Factory war room in Stamford
So many things happen simultaneously at the Olympics that it's easy to get lost even if you're paying attention to everything, says Eric Hamilton, director, digital video production, NBC Olympics. It's easy to get lost in the forest of everything that's going on, so having people with experience who can see through all that and understand what's important is key. Since our mandate is to cover every sport, we try to find Big Little Moments. Those are the little things in big moments that offer a different perspective from [the live linear coverage].
In addition to creating 100+ highlights per day for NBCUniversal's multiple platforms, the Highlights Factory plays a key role creating content for the new Your Daily Olympic Recap feature narrated by an AI version of Al Michaels, along with the new Discovery Multiview experience on Peacock.
Reunited and Feels So Good: Stamford Team Back Under One Roof Housed at NBC Sports Group's Stamford, CT, broadcast center since Sochi 2014, the Highlights Factory operation was largely built on in-person collaboration, with a sizable crew creating highlights out of a single large room in Stamford. However, COVID restrictions at Tokyo 2020 and Beijing 2022, forced NBC to split the Highlights Factory crew, with half in the usual room and half relocated to the nearby Marriott Hotel. Thankfully, for Paris 2024, Highlights Factory is once again under a single roof.
After the two COVID Olympics, says Hamilton, we're back all in one room, which is the way the Highlights Factory [model] was originally conceived. We like to be in one open room where we can call out to each other and communicate quickly and easily. We believe that is the most effective way to harvest all this content and make everyone aware of great [moments].
Quality Over Quantity: Highlights Factory Refines Its Approach for Paris NBC has crammed nearly 80 people into a massive room at the broadcast center to monitor live streams, log and edit clips, and create more than 100 video packages per day on average. The team, largely composed of veterans of the operation, is organized by experience: interns at the front and Hamilton and other key leaders at the back.
For Paris 2024, the entire Highlights Factory team is again in one room in Stamford.
At one point. Hamilton says, the Highlights Factory produced as many as 200 highlights a day, but, after extensive audience research, NBC refined its approach. Although the team is delivering half that number now, he notes, views of these clips have increased multifold.
We still cover every sport, but we've adjusted how we do it, he says. We definitely adjust [based on] the preferences of the audience for each sport. Gymnastics fans are going to want something very different than fencing fans or soccer fans. We pay a lot of attention to how people watch each of these sports, and I think that has been the major difference this year. Plus, we started to put a lot more content onto YouTube and Peacock, which has helped grow the reach of what we're doing.
Your Daily Olympic Recap' With Al Michaels: Clip Inventory for New AI Experience
One of the most buzzed-about new elements in NBC Olympics coverage this year has been the launch of Your Daily Olympic Recap on Peacock, in which an AI version of the Hall of Fame broadcaster narrates a series of personalized highlights. Powered by generative AI and AI voice-synthesis technology, the Daily Olympic Recap provides fans with their own customized playlist of highlights from the previous day's events most relevant to them. Each compilation features clips from Olympics coverage and is narrated by a high-quality AI re-creation of Michaels's voice, which was trained via his past appearances on NBC and matches his signature expertise and elocution.
A small team led by Jeff Graubart, senior director, programming, sports and WWE, NBC Sports, is responsible for creating the short highlights that populate the Daily Olympic Recap. A whiteboard set up in the Highlights Factory room resembles a Bingo card and helps in tracking the various highlights that need to be delivered each day. The clips serve each user's personal experience, which is based on their three favorite sports and two preferred topics (behind-the-scenes and backstories, top competition, viral and trending moments, and international focus).
The AI technology pulls from hundreds of these daily clips to generate a 10-minute playlist highlighting the most relevant moments from the prior day for each user, along with a look ahead to upcoming events. Narrated by the AI re-creation of Michaels's voice, the recaps give an overview of each selected highlight.
In addition to the Your Daily Olympic Recap, the Highlights Factory is powering the new Discovery Multiview on Peacock. In what NBC describes as an industry-first, enhanced Multiview experience designed for exploration, Discovery Multiview shows as many as four events in a curated viewing experience, with real-time on-screen descriptions informing the viewer what's at stake, such as Medal Event or Elimination Risk.
More AI Joins the Party: NBC Testing WSC Sports Automated Highlights In addition, NBC is us
Most recent headlines
17/02/2025
TVBEurope talks to the team who brought a piece of broadcasting history back to life on BBC Wales last night
By Jenny Priestley
Published: February 14, 2025 ...
17/02/2025
Eligible studios will receive the relief directly from their local authorities, with no need to submit a claim
By Matthew Corrigan
Published: February 17, 20...
17/02/2025
As DEI initiatives come under pressure in the USA, supporters of Rise, which promotes diversity in the media and entertainment sector, discuss the continuing im...
17/02/2025
EIB Global loan will partially fund SES's continued O3b mPOWER medium earth orbit (MEO) fleet expansion enabling additional capacity worldwide. O3b mPOWER s...
15/02/2025
At Nielsen, Business Resource Groups (BRGs) play a critical role in nurturing a ...
15/02/2025
Innovation to empower creativity: Explore the latest in Lightroom
Rob Christensen February 15, 2025
0 Comments
Whether you want to remove distracting ...
15/02/2025
Wisycom, a worldwide leader in RF technology and provider of wireless solutions, announces a new distribution agreement with EQUAPHON. An Argentinian profession...
15/02/2025
DPA Microphones, the leading manufacturer of high-quality microphone solutions, is pleased to welcome Nicholas Nick Mariano and Vincent Vince Divine to the ...
15/02/2025
Tuxera, a leading provider of quality-assured file systems and networking solutions, will showcase how Tuxera Fusion SMB enables unprecedented performance for m...
15/02/2025
Bitmovin's latest Video Developer Report indicates an increasing role of AI, the slow adoption of next-generation codecs, and continuing challenges when it ...
15/02/2025
When Michelin Enterprises set out to promote its prestigious Hotel Guide in the new Sleepless in the Kitchen , campaign, veteran German/Slovenian gaffer Robert...
15/02/2025
Formula E, the world's first all-electric racing series, revolutionizing motorsport with cutting-edge technology and a commitment to sustainability has sele...
15/02/2025
Agile Content, a global leader in TV and video technology solutions, announces its rebranding to AgileTV.
The transition to AgileTV stems from a commitment to ...
15/02/2025
Hiltron Communications will promote the latest additions to its range of satellite communication products, systems and supporting services at GovSatCom 2025. Th...
15/02/2025
Following the success of the original Airglow Booklight, DoPchoice debuts a new addition to their inflatable line the Float. This lightweight, inflatable, round...
15/02/2025
LAS VEGAS Marshall Electronics has announced that it will debut its newest camera controller, the RCP Plus, at the 2025 NAB Show at Booth N2649 between April 5 ...
15/02/2025
ATLANTA Gray Media has named Blake Sebo as the next general manager of KTUU and KYES, Gray's NBC and CBS affiliates in Anchorage, Alaska....
15/02/2025
KOKKEDAL, Denmark DPA Microphones will feature its new CORE+ technology for distortion-free microphone sound at the 2025 NAB Show, April 5-9, in Las Vegas....
15/02/2025
SWANSEA, U.K. QuickLink will launch StudioPro-NDI and StudioPro-3, two new models of its QuickLine StudioPro video production platform, at the 2025 NAB Show, Ap...
15/02/2025
Live From 2025 NBA All-Star Game Weekend: After 25 Years, Turner Sports All-In F...
15/02/2025
NASCAR Driver Cam on Max Embraces Cloud-Based Workflow for 2025 Season Chris Brown of WBD Sports says Mobii will play key part in delivering signals from the tr...
14/02/2025
Last month, we officially launched the Spotify Partner Program, a powerful new m...
14/02/2025
From an island off the coast of Lutruwita to the global stage in France SBS & ...
14/02/2025
The future of electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) land systems is evolving so that ...
14/02/2025
Here are 5 reasons why you should attend ISE 2025
Discover more about Calrec: Learn more about Calrec's legacy of innovation in broadcast audio solutions ...
14/02/2025
World Radio Day: On the same wavelength
By Graham Murray, International Sales Manager at Calrec
To mark World Radio Day, Calrec's International Sales Ma...
14/02/2025
DALLAS and TYSONS, Va. Tegna has concluded a broadcast rights agreement that makes Tegna's KFAA in Dallas the exclusive local television partner of the Dall...
14/02/2025
Amazon's Prime Video has released a new app for Apple TV that the streamer said delivers an improved streaming experiences with faster scrolling, improved s...
14/02/2025
CLEVELAND Telos Alliance announced a software update for its Axia Quasar XR and SR line of audio-over-IP (AoIP) mixing consoles and will show the offering at th...
14/02/2025
Puget Systems Returns to HPA Tech Retreat 2025 with New Analysis Tools for Puge...
14/02/2025
Glass Animals: Tour of Earth Uses Blackmagic Live Production Workflow
Brie Clayton February 14, 2025
0 Comments
80six deploys Blackmagic URSA Broadcas...
14/02/2025
A dispute between Paramount and Youtube TV that would have pulled CBS stations and Paramount's cable channels from the streaming service has been temporaril...
14/02/2025
Colourist Deidre (Dee) McClelland details how she helped shape the distinct look and feel of whimsical Oscar-nominated stop-motion film, Memoir of a Snail
By C...
14/02/2025
BitFire said it intends to introduce forward-looking services that simplify the launch of live production workflows, and enhance real-time collaboration
By Jen...
14/02/2025
The claim by the liquidators is the latest twist in the ongoing saga of the companys collapse at the end of 2021
By Matthew Corrigan
Published: February 14, ...
14/02/2025
A carriage dispute between YouTube TV and Paramount could come to a head today (Feb. 13), with the virtual pay TV provider threatening to pull all of the progra...
14/02/2025
ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J. LG Electronics USA has opened a new in-house, state-of-the-art virtual production studio at its 360,000-square-foot North American headqu...
14/02/2025
NEW YORK In a bid to help local broadcasters find new ways of monetizing their content, the Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement (CIMM) and TVB have relea...
14/02/2025
WASHINGTON Three Democratic U.S. Senators have sent a stern letter blasting FCC Chair Brendan Carr for the weaponization of the agency for attacking broadcast...
14/02/2025
Years after launching the streaming service Apple TV+ in November of 2019, Apple has finally released a version of its steaming app for Android devices....
14/02/2025
FOOTHILL RANCH, Calif. Red Digital Cinema will make its V-RAPTOR [X] and KOMODO-X camera systems available with Nikon's premier Z Mount, providing filmmaker...
14/02/2025
DAYTONA, Fla. The Fox Sports production of this year's Daytona 500 will see the addition of a few new tech elements and the continued unfolding of the broad...
14/02/2025
Watch Bryson Battles Blind Audition on The Voice Get a Four-Chair Turn Michael Bubl said the Boston Conservatory at Berklee musical theater senior might have...
14/02/2025
2025 Daytona 500: FOX Sports Looks To Ride Super Bowl LIX Momentum Into NASCAR S...
14/02/2025
14 Feb 2025
VEON's Kyivstar and the Come Back Alive Foundation Raise USD 2....
14/02/2025
Max Renews THE PITT, Starring Noah Wyle, For A Second Season
Max
Warner Bros. Television Group
The Pitt
New Episodes Of The Medical Drama From John...
14/02/2025
This year, Technicolor proudly celebrates 110 years of shaping the magic of cinema pioneering color, visual effects, and innovation that bring unforgettable l...
14/02/2025
NBA All-Star: More Games, More Teams, More Music, More Sound From the Court Turner Sports' team will deploy familiar tech to capture all the audio By Dan D...
14/02/2025
LIV Golf Continues To Innovate With Drones, Data-Driven Graphics, and All-Access...
Paris 2024: NBC's Reunited Highlights Factory Team Captures Big Little Moments', Tests New AI-Based Tools Ai-powered Your Daily Olympic Recap,' WSC Sports automated highlights add new wrinkles to operation By Jason Dachman, Editorial Director, U.S. 
