NBCUniversal Sets AI-Enhanced Al Michaels for Daily Paris Olympics Recaps on Peacock

Al Michaels, whose statement on the U.S. ice hockey team's Olympics loss to the USSR is a milestone in sports broadcasting, will provide daily AI-enhanced summaries of the Paris Games this summer on Peacock.

NBCUniversal's flagship streaming service, which offers comprehensive coverage of all Olympic events, will feature “Your Daily Olympic Recap on Peacock.” The company describes this mobile-first feature as “a first-of-its-kind personalized experience that complements NBCUniversal's comprehensive coverage of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.”

The feature stems from a collaboration with Michaels, the company said, using generative AI and AI text-to-speech technology. The recap will provide fans with their own personalized playlist featuring highlights of the events most relevant to them from the previous day. Each compilation will feature excerpts from NBCU Paris coverage. A “high-quality AI recreation of Michaels' voice” will provide voiceovers, with the virtual host trained on Michaels' past appearances on NBC.

The initiative was unveiled following a nearly two-hour presentation at 30 Rock of all the offers around the Olympic Games. Paris will mark the 18th edition of the Olympics broadcast by NBCU, dating back to the radio days of the 1930s.

Kicking off the event, Comcast Chairman and NBCU boss Mike Cavanagh called the Olympics “the touchstone of what makes our company great.” He added: “We like to raise the bar” and “put it all together to try to take it to the next level every time.”

Innovation is an understandable goal, but the AI ​​space is fraught with challenges for entertainment companies. Studios and streamers reached settlements with the WGA and SAG/AFTRA last year after months of social upheaval, with AI at the forefront of the guilds’ minds. In digital media, companies have taken sides, with some filing lawsuits against OpenAI and other AI companies, while others are joining forces and trying to capitalize on the steep adoption curve.

“When I was contacted about this, I was skeptical but obviously curious,” Michaels said in a press release. “Then I saw a demonstration detailing what they had in mind. I said, “I’m in.” »

Michaels, whose signature remains that of Lake Placid from 1980: “Do you believe in miracles? Yes!” parted ways with NBCU in 2022 after nearly two decades as its leading voice.

What's most striking about the feature, Comcast CEO Brian Roberts said during the presentation, “is how much it looks like Al Michaels.” He added that “the world could use a good Olympic Games now”, praising the “spirit of the Games”.

The daily recap is tailored to mobile viewers and will be available to Peacock subscribers beginning July 27 on all supported web browsers as well as the Peacock app on select mobile and tablet devices.

“Peacock continues to introduce unique customer-focused features that reinforce our unrivaled leadership in live streaming,” said Kelly Campbell, President of Peacock and Direct-to-Consumer, NBCUniversal. “With these recaps along with interactive elements like Peacock Live Actions and Discovery Multiview, we are bringing together the best of sport with the best of technology to deliver fans a personalized Olympic experience in a way that has never been possible before .”

Nearly 7 million personalized variations of “Your Daily Olympics Recap on Peacock” could be broadcast across the United States during the Games – all generated thanks to NBCUniversal's 5,000 hours of live coverage from Paris, where to Up to 40 Olympic events will take place simultaneously each day. .

The technology will leverage hundreds of clips produced by NBC Sports each day to generate an approximately 10-minute playlist highlighting the most relevant moments from the previous day for each user, as well as a preview of what fans can expect to see on NBC. Prime time show. Recaps narrated by the AI ​​recreation of Michaels' voice will provide insight into each selected highlight. A team of NBCU editors will review all content, including audio and clips, for quality and accuracy before recaps are made available to users.

“Your Daily Olympic Recap on Peacock” will be featured on the Peacock homepage and Olympic Hub and available at the individual profile level, so up to six users on a single account can receive their own recaps. Users can choose to receive push and in-app notifications to remind them to watch their recaps.