Alibaba is working with the Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to bring "advanced" cloud and AI technologies to the 2026 Winter Olympics and Paralympics in Italy.

Alibaba Cloud has been the preferred cloud partner of the games since 2017, with a contract set to run until 2028. The current games have seen the organization expand its use of Alibaba's cloud and AI capabilities.

According to Alibaba, this builds on the previous deployments at Tokyo 2020, Beijing 2022, and Paris 2024, and is the next step in the IOC's "transition toward cloud-based, AI-enabled broadcasting."

The cloud and AI technologies are being used to enhance the viewing experience for the audience, improve operational efficiency for broadcasters, and create new ways to manage and store the content gathered at the games.

Dr. Feifei Li, SVP of Alibaba Cloud Intelligence Group and president of International Business, said: "Each Olympic Games presents unique challenges in scale, geography, and complexity. For Milano Cortina 2026, we are applying cloud and AI capabilities to make broadcasts more dynamic, workflows more efficient, and Olympic moments more accessible to audiences around the world."

Among the new technologies is a 'Real Time 360 Replay' system that enables replays with "fluid camera movement and stroboscopic visual effects" that are powered by an AI algorithm. It can do three-dimensional reconstructions in 15-20 seconds. In addition to this, OBS is developing an Automatic Media Description (AMD) System powered by Alibaba's Qwen advanced large language model.

OBS is also continuing to use the Live Cloud platform for its broadcasting. First debuted at the Tokyo games, the Live Cloud is now the Olympics' core distribution platform, supporting 39 broadcasters with 427 live video feeds. The system has replaced satellite links and dedicated transmission lines.

The OBS Olympic Video Player (OVP) will also deliver high-definition live streams using Alibaba Cloud's infrastructure, enabling smaller broadcasters to access professional-grade broadcast capabilities.

Ilario Corna, chief technology and information officer, International Olympic Committee, said: “Milano Cortina 2026 marks a defining moment in the integration of AI into the Olympic Movement. Alibaba Cloud has been incredible in putting these leading capabilities to work in very practical, helpful ways – not only enhancing the everyday experience for our fans through the first use of LLM technologies at the Olympics, but building intelligent systems such as Sports AI that will preserve historic Olympic moments for generations to come.

"Leveraging Alibaba’s cloud-based technologies, we have progressed way beyond digitalization for efficiency to using technologies to transform the entire Olympic experience through AI innovations. The tangible benefits brought by cloud and AI are now visible not only to the IOC, NOCs, OBS, and Right Holding Broadcasters, but also to the audience and sports fans worldwide.”

The next Olympic and Paralympic Games will be held in 2028 in Los Angeles. In October 2025, it was revealed that the games would be turning instead to Google Cloud as its official provider.