Google gears up for the Olympics by partnering with global networks, YouTube stars
Google is making its play to get eyeballs during the Olympics.
The tech giant announced Monday that it is sending 15 of its YouTube stars to livestream parts of the summer games.
It is also partnering with major global networks including the BBC, América Móvil (available in Latin America, excluding Brazil) and NHK (Japan) to broadcast event highlights in 60 countries.
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Creators -- including Liza Koshy, Brodie Smith, Ben Brown, Caeli, Chloe Morello, and Felipe Castanhari -- will provide everything from commentary of the Games’ celebrations to on the ground tours of Rio.
YouTube said they will also take advantage of the new mobile live streaming feature to "share realtime moments from Brazil as they unfold," as well as 360 degree videos.
The news helps position YouTube as a go-to destination during the Games.
NBC, network home to the Olympics, will be streaming 4,500 hours of its coverage of the Rio Olympics. However, that will only be available at NBCOlympics.com and through its NBC Sports app to verified pay TV subscribers. Non-subscribers can stream up to 30 minutes of video on their first visit.
Sports is already a huge genre on YouTube. Google said that in the last year, "over 23,000 years of content have been watched on YouTube" for the four most popular Olympic Games’ sports alone: athletics, gymnastics, swimming and volleyball.
Saba was a Los Angeles-based reporter who covers all things digital entertainment, including YouTube, streaming services and digital influencers. Prior to that, she spent two years at the Los Angeles Times covering entertainment for the Calendar and Company Town sections. Saba grew up in Santa Monica and graduated from Boston University with a B.S. in journalism and B.A. in political science. When not reporting, she is usually binge watching shows online or looking for new coffee shops to frequent.
